Arsenal's decision to mutually terminate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract, subsequently allowing him to join Barcelona on a free transfer in the January window has been placed under the microscope once again.
Having not featured since a substitute appearance in the 2-1 loss against Everton at the beginning of December and being stripped of the captaincy following a 'disciplinary breach', the writing had been on the wall for the 32-year-old with regards to his Gunners' future having been left out of the squad that travelled to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp.
And prior to the winter transfer window closing, Arsenal and Aubameyang managed to find an agreement that allowed the striker to join Barcelona permanently after initial reports suggested he would be sealing a loan move with an option to buy.
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Whilst this was regarded as a great deal for Arsenal from a financial standpoint, as at the time Aubameyang still had 73 weeks left on his contract thus allowing the club to save a whopping £25.6million in wages. However, they have lost their best striker over the past four years with the Gabon international's 68 Premier League goals being worth more points (53) than any other player's across the entire division since his arrival in January 2018.
Now, Barcelona are reaping the rewards of Aubameyang's ruthlessness in front of goal as his strike against Levante on Sunday night took him to double figures in just 15 appearances across all competitions. Meanwhile, Arsenal's entire output in attack is beginning to suffer tremendously and it could cost them in the top-four race.
Since Aubameyang's exit, the Gunners have scored 12 Premier League goals. Perhaps more worryingly Alexandre Lacazette hasn't netted from open play in 2022, the back-up option in Eddie Nketiah hasn't netted in the competition this season, Nicolas Pepe has one league goal to his name and Gabriel Martinelli also has one league goal this year.
A lack of goals has seen the Gunners slip behind Tottenham Hotspur in the top-four race and life without Aubameyang doesn't seem all that rosy - something club legend Thierry Henry, their record goalscorer, has been warning about for some time.
"Aubameyang scored two goals and we escaped," the Frenchman said following the Gunners' 2-2 draw against Norwich in late 2019 shortly before Arteta was appointed as head coach. "But that's what I saw, you know, without the goals of Aubameyang I don't know where we would have been right now."
Furthermore, when Aubameyang's future was up in the air during the back end of the 2019/20 season, Henry reiterated his point of just how important the striker was to Arsenal. "All I know is that we are definitely going to miss his goals if he does leave," Henry told Sky Sports. "He does score goals and if you take the goals of Aubameyang away, it’s a tough one."
Now Aubameyang's goals have been taken away, Henry's prediction about Arsenal missing his output is beginning to come true and it's down to Arteta to find a formula that ensures the January transfer decision doesn't end up backfiring and costing his side a place in next season's Champions League.
