Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left Arsenal in January but he could still provide the north London side with help in the summer transfer window.
The Daily Mail reports that Mikel Arteta passed on a message, via a third party, that Aubameyang is a good person despite their differences. This then convinced Xavi to green-light the player's move to Barcelona, and Aubameyang now has the chance to repay the favour.
According to Spanish news outlet El Chringuito, Dembele’s agent has had a meeting with Arsenal. The Frenchman’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning he will be available on a free transfer.
Aubameyang and the Frenchman are close friends. This means that he could potentially put in a good word that would see Arsenal secure the World Cup winners’ services.
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There has been a lot of talk about the way Aubameyang left Arsenal due to his banishment from the first-team squad following his disciplinary issues before leaving the club. However, since joining Barcelona the 32-year-old has shown respect and reminded fans that he still loves the club.
The admiration for Aubameyang amongst supporters could be turned up a notch if he helps the club seal a deal for Dembele, and after Arteta’s reported glowing reference about him, the Gabonese international has an extra incentive to do so. After all, he would be helping the Gunners snatch the Frenchman from the hands of Chelsea, with whom he has been heavily linked with.
Dembele had been constantly criticised in the past for his injury issues since joining Barcelona in 2018. But since the closure of the January transfer window, he has shown the form that is reminiscent of his time at Borussia Dortmund which persuaded the Catalan side to pay £100m for his services.
If Arsenal were to sign him, he would improve the squad with his direct play. His blistering pace will also provide breathing space for Bukayo Saka who has seemed to look burnt out of late, due to the responsibility Mikel Arteta puts on his shoulders.
It appears Arteta does not see Nicolas Pepe as a trustworthy option despite being the replacement for the youngster. He has featured heavily on the substitutes bench without receiving many minutes this season.
Dembele’s time at Barcelona has certainly hurt his reputation, but the Catalan club should take a lot of blame for this due to their issues on and off the pitch. Both Phillipe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann also joined for major transfer fees and struggled at Barcelona, but they thrived elsewhere when given the opportunity, which is a fate that Dembele could also follow.
Aubameyang could do Arsenal a major favour by persuading Dembele to choose Arsenal over Chelsea if he is to leave the club. The connection between Aubameyang and the Arsenal fans might be slightly disjointed due to the way he left north London, but this would certainly help repair the relationship.
