Football news – Mikel Arteta ‘desperate’ to keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but he'll need some help

Aubameyang has just over a year left on his current contract at Arsenal, and the Telegraph report that the coronavirus pandemic is partly a reason why he is yet to receive a formal extension offer.

Should Aubameyang refuse to sign a new deal, then Arsenal would consider selling him in the summer, rather than letting him go for free a year from now.

But Arteta is said to be desperate to avoid a summer of uncertainty, with the Spaniard keen to keep the 30-year-old and build a team around him.

The Telegraph claims Arteta will initiate contract talks himself, a move which he hopes will impress both Aubameyang and the player’s father.

One possible reason for the delay could of course be the Premier League’s own postponement, and therefore the uncertainty of where Arsenal will finish in the table.

At 30, Aubameyang is likely considering how many years he has left at the top, and also what options he has in terms of playing regularly for a Champions League-competing side.

Arsenal’s chances of reaching next year’s Champions League appear slim, but there is still a chance, and therefore it does not fall only on Arteta to convince Aubameyang to stay, but also on the rest of the squad.

Arsenal are currently eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, but have a game in hand, and while the odds are against the Gunners securing a Champions League place this season, a strong end to the campaign could at least convince Aubameyang to sign a new deal and go again in 2020-21.

There is even a distinct possibility Arsenal could miss out on a European place altogether, which could allow them to focus more on the league, and with wise recruitment, Arteta may be able to show Aubameyang he is already at a team capable of winning more silverware during the stint of his next contract.

You get the impression, though, that Aubameyang will not commit until the longest of Premier League seasons reaches its conclusion.