15 September 2023 , 08:23
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Arsenal's success in securing new deals for star players was seen as an important part of this summer's business, but the three years since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang agreed fresh terms shows it's not the be all and end all.
In September 2020, Arsenal's future appeared to hinge on that of the Gabonese frontman. Aubameyang had taken over the captaincy from Granit Xhaka after an infamous episode in a game against Crystal Palace, and handing the skipper a new deal - with improved terms which didn't seem too much at odds with his importance - felt key in fending off interest in a prized asset.
Three years on, though, and things couldn't look much more different. As Arsenal prepare for a Champions League return they were never able to sort during the former Dortmund man's time in North London, Aubameyang has moved to a third different club since ending his time at the Emirates less than halfway into that big-money deal.
It's easy to forget how big a deal that new contract was at the time. Fans' concerns had grown to the point that manager Mikel Arteta felt compelled to put their minds at ease on September 11, 2020.
“I can say that I am even more confident than I was at the end of last season when you asked me the same question 10 times!” the Spaniard told reporters at the time. “I am very optimistic. I think [those fans who are worried] can be pretty relaxed!”
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Less than a week later, the deal was official. Less than 18 months after that, he was gone.
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Mikel Arteta posing with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the striker signed a contract extension (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)"I believe in Arsenal," Aubameyang said upon signing the extension. "We can achieve big things together. We have something exciting here and I believe the best is to come for Arsenal.”
While he was right about the best being yet to come, it would come without him. Even in that 2020-21 season, he was no longer his prolific self of the previous two seasons, finding the net just 10 times in the league.
The next year, the drop-off continued. Just four league goals, and none in his final six games, while a disciplinary breach saw him go from wearing the armband to leaving the club in no time.
After spells with Barcelona and Chelsea, Aubameyang joined Marseille this summer (AFP via Getty Images)"I have always been 100 per cent focused and committed on doing everything I can for this club which is why leaving without a real goodbye hurts - but that is football," Aubameyang said upon joining Barcelona midway through the 2021-22 season. "I'm sad I did not get the chance to help my teammates in the last few weeks, but I have nothing but respect for this club and truly wish all my guys and the fans all the best and many successful years in the future!"
For the first few months after his exit, there was a feeling among some that Arsenal had made a mistake. A return of 11 goals from 17 La Liga games suggested the loss of his scoring touch was only temporary, while a late-season collapse saw Arsenal miss out on a top-four finish.
Would some of those goals have helped avoid narrow defeats against Brighton and Southampton? Might he have helped prevent the collapse in the North London Derby? Whatever the answer, the following 12 months have left the Gunners far less upset at no longer having Aubameyang on their books.
Arsenal's title challenge last season owed a lot to their fluid front-line, with summer signing Gabriel Jesus thriving in a leading role and Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka supporting from out wide. There's every chance Aubameyang, had he still been at the club, would have prevented Arteta from ever being able to make the most of such a set-up.
The Gunners' growth has also been boosted by the captaincy of Martin Odegaard. This, too, would have been impossible without the previous skipper leaving the club.
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Aubameyang himself, meanwhile, has endured a difficult year. His Chelsea struggles carried mitigation, with manager Thomas Tuchel leaving the club less than a month after bringing him to West London, but he still looked a shadow of his former self while scoring just once in 15 league outings.
Things could yet improve at new club Marseille, where his only goals so far have come in a fruitless European qualifier, but few Arsenal fans will feel the club did the wrong thing by letting Aubameyang go. The decision to hand him that big contract, though? Well, that's a different matter.