Mikel Arteta needs to ring Thomas Tuchel and ask him how he dealt with the disagreement between Romelu Lukaku and himself, and apply the advice with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Despite The Telegraph reporting that the 32-year-old will not be joining the Gunners in the warm winter camp in Dubai, it is crucial that Arteta takes the steps in improving relations with the striker.
Arsenal have been looking for a striker in the January transfer window to potentially replace Aubameyang, but have failed in their attempts so far with the deadline fast approaching.
The Gunners had been in the race for Dusan Vlahovic but he is now poised to join Juventus instead, according to various reports.
With other striker targets seemingly not available until the summer transfer window, Arteta needs to replicate Tuchel’s plan and get Arsenal’s best striker back into the side to help in the push for a Champions League spot.
Lukaku had criticised Tuchel’s system at Chelsea and suggested he would like to move back to his former club Inter Milan after feeling unsettled.
This resulted in the Belgian striker being left out of Chelsea’s crucial game against Liverpool, and it seemed like his future with The Blues had the writing on the wall and he was set to leave.
However, this would not be the case as relations improved between the manager and the player, which also saw Lukaku issuing a public apology which certainly looked to be spearheaded and demanded by Tuchel.
With Arsenal’s attempts to bring in a striker in January met with difficulties, it will be crucial that Arteta attempts to get Aubameyang back on side if the Gunners want to push for Champions League qualification.
The Gabonese international can certainly make a return to the side if he issues an apology to the fans and promises to knuckle down, whilst ensuring Arsenal finish in the top four come the end of the season.
The 32-year-old would certainly be welcomed back into the team after scoring 92 goals for the club in just 163 games. In addition to this, he managed to claim the 2018/19 golden boot after scoring 22 goals during his second season in England.
The pressure on Alexandre Lacazette to stay fit is currently huge due to the shortages in attack, and if Arsenal do not manage to sign a new striker this month, then hopes of a Champions League place ahead of next season will certainly be diminished.
Aubameyang is available and has a knack for goals, so Arteta needs to follow Tuchel’s steps in ensuring the Gunners can still utilise their best goal outlet.
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