Will Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang commit his future to Arsenal after winning the FA Cup on Saturday?This is the question everyone connected with the club is now asking themselves following the Gabon international’s match-winning performance against Chelsea at Wembley.Aubameyang, whose current contract expires next summer, scored both goals in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory.The 31-year-old cancelled out Christian Pulisic’s early opener from the penalty spot before completing his brace in the second half with a wonderful goal.These were the 28th and 29th goals of Aubameyang’s season. He also netted both goals in Arsenal’s 2-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City last month.It’s fair to say, then, that Aubameyang is Arsenal’s most important player right now and tying him down to a new contract is the club’s priority this summer.
However, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes we may have just seen Aubameyang’s final appearance in an Arsenal shirt."I think he's [Aubameyang] gone from that reaction. He's already decided,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport, per the Daily Mail.“‘I’m going to enjoy this with my team-mates’ - he sounds like someone who is going elsewhere.“Arsenal need to do all they can to keep him. He was unbelievable, Jesus. But the arsenal fans adore him. Is he going to find that elsewhere in his career?”
One man who can fully understand Aubameyang’s dilemma is Robin van Persie, who was on punditry duty for BT Sport alongside Ferdinand.And there was an awkward moment when Joe Cole asked: ”Robin, do you think if he stays at Arsenal he has a chance to win the Premier League next year?”Ferdinand intervened, responding: “I’ll answer that for him because it’s a hard question for him to answer. No!”Watch the funny clip here…
It went down very well with United fans...
Van Persie was Arsenal’s star man back in 2012 when he made the tough decision to leave the Gunners for Manchester United.
The Dutchman ended up winning the Premier League in his maiden season at Old Trafford.
Aubameyang will be acutely aware that taking a similar gamble could pay off just as handsomely.
Ferdinand then asked Van Persie: “Robin, do you risk leaving that? Where you know every player loves you here, the fans love you, you’re the star man, the main man - do you risk going elsewhere now at 31 years old?”
Van Persie, again put on the spot, said: “It’s a difficult choice to make. You have to look at so many other things. These guys have money and won’t make a choice based on money. They will make a choice based on the whole picture. It all depends on what the board, coach says about bringing in players.”
Van Persie, there, speaking from his own experience.
However, Aubameyang did drop a subtle hint that he might be planning to stay after the match.
Reacting on Twitter to a photo of himself and Mikel Arteta holding the FA Cup, he tweeted: “My manager !!!!!”