Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is going to involve himself in a relegation battle in the second half of the season, swapping north London for Newcastle United.
Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, the Toon's top two attackers, both limped off in a draw with Manchester United at St. James' Park last night. Wilson in particular appeared to be a long-term problem, with Wilson's manager Eddie Howe concerned about the player when questioned at full-time.Newcastle are in desperate need of goals, with Brazilian Joelinton reborn as a midfielder under Howe, and Aubameyang's condition could provide them with a boost in the coming weeks.
After reportedly returning late from a sanctioned vacation back to France, Aubameyang was stripped of his leadership before the 3-0 win against Southampton. Since then, the £60 million former Borussia Dortmund player has not played.
Arsenal have won all five Premier League games without the number 14 – with Alexandre Lacazette taking over the armband – and have advanced to the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
The north Londoners are reportedly keen to avoid a repeat of the situation in which Mesut Ozil was left out of Arteta's Premier League team and began live-tweeting matches. Lacazette and youngster Eddie Nketiah are both out of contract in the summer, and Arteta has made no secret of the club's need to bring in another attacker shortly.
Despite exercising alone since his indiscretion, Aubameyang has made no attempt to negotiate a move away from the Emirates. After being penalized, the forward was seen arriving early for training the next day, and it's unlikely that he'll accept a wage cut 18 months after signing a huge deal.
Howe, on the other hand, has a limited track record of recruiting over-30 players to bail him out of trouble, with Steve Fletcher at Bournemouth being the most notable example. When Howe was appointed to the Cherries, Fletcher was recruited in on loan, despite the fact that the two knew each other and Fletcher was already a club icon. The new Magpies boss may be put off by Aubameyang's recent attitude troubles.
It's far more likely that Howe will try to establish a platform with his team by adding younger players to his roster, despite the fact that he's fighting the drop. Aubameyang may be brought in on a loan deal, but that seems doubtful right now.
