“We all loved him” – Gabriel Magalhaes insists no Arsenal player had problems with ‘nice person’ Aubameyang

Arsenal defender Gabriel has claimed that none of the players had a problem with former striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before he left for Barcelona in January.

The former Gunners striker was stripped of the captaincy and exiled from the squad at the beginning of December by Mikel Arteta due to off-field issues. This eventually lead to Aubameyang leaving Arsenal for Barcelona during the January transfer window.

Gabriel was asked about the striker's situation at the club leading up to his departure. The Brazilian told 'Oh My Goal':

"I do not want to talk about that… Aubameyang is in my heart, we all loved him at Arsenal. It is something that happened between him and the coaching staff, the other players were not in it. I said goodbye to him before he left, I hope he enjoys Barcelona, he is a very nice person with a big heart and I love him very much."

Earlier this month, Aubameyang admitted that the only person he had a problem with at Arsenal was Mikel Arteta. He said at his Barcelona unveiling:

"My last few months at Arsenal were complicated, that's football sometimes. For my part, I never wanted to do anything wrong. My problem was only with Arteta. I can't say much more, I wasn't happy. It was just him and he made that decision. He wasn't happy, I can't tell you more. He wasn't very happy, I stayed very calm and that's it. They were difficult months but I think that's how football is sometimes ... For my part, I have never wanted to do something wrong and now I think that this is the past and I want to think about the present and right now that is my answer."

The striker has been on fire since joining the Catalan club and has scored four goals in his first five games for Xavi's side.

Auameyang joined Arsenal back in 2018 and went on to become the club's captain. The striker scored 92 goals in 163 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners and helped them win the 2019-20 FA Cup during his tenure.

"I am extremely grateful for what Auba has done at the club" - Arteta on Aubameyang's time at Arsenal

Arteta and Aubameyang's relationship turned sour in December

Mikel Arteta spoke on Aubameyang's statement earlier this month and was adamant that he was not the problem. The Spaniard explained that despite being grateful for what the striker did during his time as a Gunner, it was the right decision to let him leave in January. He said:

"I am extremely grateful for what Auba has done at the club, for his contribution since I’ve been here, .The way I see myself in that relationship is the solution, not the problem. What I’m saying is that I’ve been the solution, 100%. I can look in the eye of anybody. I think it is gratitude, wish him the best, and move on without any regrets, because I prefer to look at all the beautiful things and good times that we had. As well it is very important to learn from those ones, at the end, that have been so good, and those that we could have done better, especially from my side when I look at that."