New Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has aimed a subtle dig at his former manager, Mikel Arteta, claiming he was “the problem” at Arsenal.
The Gabonese striker’s issues at Arsenal began when the club released a statement in December announcing that the player had been stripped of the team’s captaincy due to “multiple disciplinary breaches,” after that, it was announced he would not be considered for selection.
After completing a move away from the club in the January transfer window, the striker has now opened up on the issues preceding his Emirates exit.
“I think the problem was only with him (Arteta), and he made the decision,” he said during his unveiling at Barcelona, per the Daily Mail. “I can’t say much, he wasn’t happy, and that’s it. It happened like that. He wasn’t very happy, I stayed very calm, and that’s it.”
He added, “They were difficult months, but I think that’s how football is sometimes. For my part, I have never wanted to do something wrong, and now I think that this is the past, and I want to think about the present.”
Multiple reports suggested that the former AC Milan striker was set to join Barcelona on a free transfer on Monday night. On Tuesday, Arsenal agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
According to British tabloids, the North London club paid him £7 million as compensation and agreed to pay a chunk of his £350,000 weekly wage until the end of the season.
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