There are plenty of people you can blame for Arsenal’s current situation.
Mikel Arteta is the manager, therefore, he’s largely responsible for what happens on the pitch. Therefore, it would be fair to point the finger at him.
Stan Kroenke has been an absent owner who hasn’t put his hand in his own pocket for a long time, so some blame has to fall at his feet.
However, the club have still had money to spend, but their poor transfer activity in recent years is largely down to one man, and that’s Edu.
Edu has been Arsenal’s Technical Director for over two years now, and there are plenty of decisions of his that need to come under scrutiny.
Many would point towards giving a 32-year-old Willian a three-year deal on massive wages as Edu’s biggest mistake, but there’s an argument to be made that the Brazilian made an even bigger error last summer, and that may be highlighted this week.
Of course, we’re talking about the decision to give Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a new deal.
At the time, giving Aubameyang a new deal seemed like a decent move. He was coming off the back of a season where he was once again Arsenal’s top scorer in the league, and he was entering the final year of his contract.
But, at the age of 31, it’s hard to argue giving him a three-year deal worth £55m is good business.
The late Marvin Hagler once said: “It’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 am when you’ve been sleeping in silk pyjamas.”
The boxer was alluding to the fact that elite sportsmen’s effort levels can dwindle when they’ve made their money, and that seems to be what’s happened with Aubameyang.
Mikel Arteta maintains that his dip in form isn’t linked to his new contract, but his diminishing returns are there for all to see, and many pundits believe the two things are linked.
Now, Arsenal are apparently open to getting rid of Aubameyang, just one year after his signed his new deal.
The Gabonese forward’s stock has fallen massively in the past 12 months, and according to the Telegraph, Arsenal are worried that they won’t be able to find a club to take his wages off their hands.
So, what are Arsenal left with? Potentially two more years with an ageing striker who has been out of form for a long time and apparently doesn’t get on with the manager.
Yes, signing Willian was a mistake, but at least Arsenal look able to get rid of him this summer, but Aubameyang’s new contract is looking more and more like a massive error in judgement from Edu with each passing week.
Yes, he scored a hat trick this weak against a second-string West Brom side, but in the grand scheme of things what does that really mean? It’s a good sign, but it’s by no means a grand return to form.
The transfer deadline is coming up and it’s really a no-win situation for Arsenal with Aubameyang at this point.
They either sell him for less than he was worth 12 months ago, or persist with a who is on wages that last season’s performances suggest he doesn’t deserve.
Aubameyang’s bumper deal may go down as Edu’s single biggest error.
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