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Arsenal are better off without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Pat Nevin

Arsenal will be better off without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to Pat Nevin.



Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Barcelona and Pat Nevin joined The Football Show to discuss his move.

Arsenal are finally free of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Once the club's best player and one of the most feared strikers in Europe, Aubameyang joined Barcelona today and there are few Arsenal fans unhappy about it. Mikel Arteta is glad to see the back of him too. Aubameyang became more focused on non-football issues than his own performances on the field.

He fell out with his manager and the team didn't suffer for his absence. Now 32 years of age, his individual talent doesn't offset his inability to fit into a successful team.

Pat Nevin believes Arsenal will be much better off for having him out of the club.

"I'm not convinced there's an Arsenal fan out there who would take his side," Nevin said.

"He's of a certain age. His form certainly fell off the edge of a cliff in the last year or so. He wasn't scoring anywhere near the same number of goals, attitude problems, everything. All the things that Arteta [isn't going to put up with]. We all know what type of person Arteta is as well.

"He is almost a mini Pep. He won't put up with that type of player unless he absolutely has to."

It's a reflection on the state of the two clubs. Barcelona are so desperate for first team players, they are taking Aubameyang on the scant hope that he turns his career around. If he shows that he still cares about football and puts in the effort, that might happen.

But Arsenal saw his presence as disruptive more than helfpul. The idea that Barcelona are picking up Arsenal castoffs is astonishing.

"This club has got the best of Aubameyang, you're not going to get the best of him from here on in. I wouldn't be surprised if Aubameyang went and scored a few goals for Barcelona. He gets in before Adama Traore and Ferran Torres as far as I can see. Which is extraordinary the players that they are taking.

"This is Barcelona who are taking players like Traore who is good enough for Wolves but Torres isn't necessarily good enough for Manchester City and Aubameyang isn't seen as Arsenal standard anymore. Yet Barcelona are going and throwing all their money at that.

"It's just so opposite to Barcelona's thinking."

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Arsenal Barcelona Mikel Arteta Pierre Emerick Aubameyang Xavi