The announcement today that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be stripped of his Arsenal captaincy is the lowest point in a career of highs, which includes a spell at Milan.
The 32-year-old Gabonese striker was made Arsenal captain by then-coach Unai Emery back in November 2019, after the poor reaction by the fans regarding the decision to award Granit Xhaka the armband.
He was removed from this position by coach Mikel Arteta today citing disciplinary issues, likely linked to his decision to get a tattoo recently despite the COVID restrictions. It’s fair to say, then, that this is one of the lowest points in Aubameyang’s long career.
The Gabonese forward initially made a name for himself back in 2007 as part of Milan’s youth system. The then-18-year-old striker scored in all of the Rossoneri’s matches in the now-defunct Champions Youth Cup, netting seven goals in six matches.
This attracted the attention of scouts around Europe, and he went on to spend three seasons on loan in France with Dijon, Lille, Monaco and eventually Saint-Etienne. It was at the latter that he really began to shine, making the move there permanent in December 2011, ending his time contracted to Milan.
Aubameyang still has many friends in Italy, especially in the area of Milan and Varese. He often travels to the Belpaese to meet them and, last year, he was spotted at Gallarate to play a seven-a-side football match along with former Bari star Vitali Kutuzov. He played the game wearing his Arsenal shirt and according to reports in Italy, he paid the pitch for everyone.
However, his career continued away from Italy. He quickly impressed for Saint-Etienne and went on to score 41 goals and provide 25 assists in 97 appearances across all competitions for the club, helping the team win the Coupe de la Ligue, his first major trophy.
His five years with Borussia Dortmund are where he became a household name, however. Aubameyang became one of the premier stars of German football with BVB, netting 141 goals in 213 games and being part of the squad that won the 2016-17 DFB-Pokal (netting the winning goal), as well as two DFL-Supercups.
Aubameyang’s time in North London started well following his move to Arsenal in January 2018, being signed for a then-club record fee of £56 million. He scored 10 goals in his 13 Premier League appearances in that half-season, immediately winning over the Arsenal faithful.
The following campaign was even better, winning the Premier League Golden Boot after finding the back of the net 22 times in 36 games, as well as scoring eight goals as the Gunners fought their way to the Europa League final.
Following the conclusion of that season, it would seem impossible to any Arsenal fan that he would become one of their most frustrating players only two years later, especially considering that he went on to score another 22 goals for the Gunners in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season. He also was key in Arsenal’s successful FA Cup run, scoring braces against both Chelsea and Manchester City.
Some fans suggest that Aubameyang’s struggles began following his three-year contract renewal with the North London side in September 2020. He would only score 10 goals in 29 league appearances that season and he looked significantly more lethargic on the pitch than before.
Whilst this could have only been a slight bump in an otherwise positive career, things have not taken a turn for the better. Aubameyang has only netted four goals in 14 Premier League appearances this season and has often been accused of acting disinterested or lazy on the pitch, frustrating fans.
Back in 2017, before his move to the Emirates Stadium, he was linked with a move to Milan and he even wanted to return to San Siro, where he had never made his senior debut in official games. However, he scored a decisive goal in the 2007 edition of the Trofeo Berlusconi, under Carlo Ancelotti. “I want [to return], but they [Milan] are sleeping,” he told fans ten years later during a live video on Instagram.
With his captaincy being stripped by Arteta today, fans are hoping that this is the moment that galvanises Aubameyang and gives him the motivation required to return to the top again. Many think his time at Arsenal is over and, perhaps, January could be a good moment to make his move to Serie A.