Arsenal are ready to keep unsettled striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang until the end of his contract instead of selling him for a knockdown price, The Sun reports.
Aubameyang who will turn 31 this month and his current contract, worth around £200,000-a-week, expires at the end of next season and there have been no talks on extending his stay.
But Arsenal will not be forced into selling the Gabonese striker just to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing next year.
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Head of football Raul Sanllehi declared that no player will be allowed to run down his contract after Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck all left the club as free agents.
But that policy could be relaxed this summer in the face of a depressed transfer market due to the coronavirus lockdown.
And according to The Telegraph, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will take a ‘hands-on approach’ to convincing Aubameyang that his long-term future lies at Arsenal.
Arteta believes Aubameyang can continue to be a star in his team beyond the summer of 2021 and wants to sit down with him to discuss a new deal.
The Telegraph claim that Arteta is confident that his personal approach can make a difference to Aubameyang, who is desperate to play Champions League football again.
The Gunners appear certain to miss on a top four spot this season, but Arteta will tell the 30-year-old that he wants to build an exciting, young team around him.
Barcelona showed interest in Aubameyang in January, but the Spanish giants were unable to meet the Gunners’ £50million valuation.
Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Inter Milan have also been keeping tabs on his situation, but Arsenal are likely to keep him if they can’t get more than £20m for him in summer transfer.
