Former Chelsea and Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez revealed Mikel Arteta tried to support Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before he left Arsenal in January. It comes after a saga that saw the ex-Gunners striker terminate his contract before joining Barcelona - and subsequently rivals Chelsea - after.
It came down to a disciplinary breach as the Gabon international returned late from an authorised trip, with Arteta then making the decision to strip him of the club captaincy. Footage in the Amazon documentary Arsenal: All or Nothing showed the manager was prepared and even kept track of any issues with Aubameyang.
"I have everything documented," he said on the series. "With the dates, the times, the conversations, how it happened, why it happened . . . because of if one day it’s needed. [Aubameyang] has been late, apart from all the [other] issues, many times. The club has got a tradition. When you get paid that much..."
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Aubameyang hit back at the Spaniard in a video that emerged earlier this month from when he joined Barcelona shortly after leaving the Emirates Stadium. "Big characters and big players...he can't deal with it," The forward said in a huge swipe at the manager. "He needs some young players who don't say anything. They listen."
Aubameyang has since responded to the video, stating when it was taken and that there are no bad feelings since then. The two will reunite on the pitch again in a few weeks' time as Arsenal face Chelsea in their penultimate fixture before the mid-season World Cup break.
While it seemed to be a messy split between the striker and the club, Benitez claims that Arteta did try his best to support Aubameyang. Speaking on Premier League Productions, he said: "I will tell you something, because I know something a little bit from inside. I think he was trying to support the player, as much as he could. Then after he couldn’t, so he had to make a decision and that’s it."
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