Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang knows the missing ingredient Arsenal must find if they are to end their wait for the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners have endured a difficult first half of the campaign, characterised by injuries and refereeing controversies.
Despite a seemingly never-ending stream of issues, Arsenal remain in contention to win four trophies and can take a step closer to Wembley this evening when they host Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final.
While progress has undoubtedly been made under Arteta, who recently celebrated five years in charge, sileverware has continued to be elusive.
Aubameyang was at the peak of his powers when his goals helped Arsenal win the only major trophy of Arteta’s reign, the 2020 FA Cup and the 35-year-old believes his old club are in need of a proven goalscorer if they are to go one better than last year.
In an interview with The Athletic, Aubameyang said the current Arsenal side are ‘missing something’ as they chase the trophies they ‘deserve’ — namely a ‘goalscoring machine’.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Alexander Isak of Newcastle, but the Magpies value the striker at £150m and have ruled out selling their prize asset in January.
Aubameyang, meanwhile, has never been able to say a proper goodbye to Arsenal fans following his acrimonious departure which came as a result of the breakdown in his relationship with Arteta.
The former Borussia Dortmund star now admits it was a mistake to have signed a contract extension following his FA Cup heroics but that he no longer holds a grudge against Arteta for the way in which he ended his career in north London.
‘I was talking on the bus with (fellow striker) Alexandre Lacazette, (after the FA Cup final’ says Aubameyang.
‘Every fan was saying, ‘Sign da ting!’. Laca asked me, ‘What are you going to do?’ I was like, ‘To tell you the truth, I really don’t know’.
‘If I’m being honest, at that time I wanted to go. For me, it was time to find a new challenge. I did my time. It was very nice, but I needed to change.
‘It had been four years, I did great and maybe it was time to leave it like this, proper and clean, so people remember me as a good Arsenal player. I felt I needed to go because if I stayed, something would go wrong.’
He added: ‘You cannot stay with that negativity. I will always love Arsenal, always love the supporters… even if I went to Chelsea.’
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