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Arsenal will look to continue their quest for a fourth-place finish when they face Southampton at the St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday. The north London side are fifth in the league table, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, Sokratis Papastathopoulos has criticised the Gunners for their treatment of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Elsewhere, Barcelona are interested in Gabriel Magalhaes.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 14th April 2022:
Sokratis Papastathopoulos criticises Arsenal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang treatment
Former Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos has criticised the Gunners for their handling of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international was frozen out of the first team by manager Mikel Arteta in December and shipped off to Barcelona this January.
Speaking to The Sun, the Greek defender said that his former club made a mistake by offloading Aubameyang.
"Aubameyang is not the only one who left this way from Arsenal; other players also left like that; including myself. That was the team’s choice, each footballer works for the team and has to respect that choice.I don’t know, and personally I don’t think it was the correct choice; the matter could have been resolved differently," said Sokratis.
He continued:
“I’ve known Aubameyang for many years; I know what he can do as a footballer. I am certain of what he will do at Barcelona. I wish him good luck and all the best. The same goes for Arsenal despite the way I also left. I wish them well."
Soktratis went on to compare the situation with his own departure from the Emirates, adding:
“(The way I left) Was not the best; I was left out of the team. But it’s a matter I haven’t spoken about yet; I respected the manager’s choice. I spoke with him. I am a professional; I worked for the club and love the club. I will definitely continue to be a friend and fan just like I am for all the other clubs I played for, such as Dortmund and (AC) Milan."
Aubameyang has hit the ground running at the Camp Nou, bagging ten goals across competitions.
Barcelona interested in Gabriel Magalhaes
Barcelona are interested in Gabriel Magalhaes, according to The Hard Tackle via SPORT.
The Brazilian defender has been a regular feature in manager Mikel Arteta's side since arriving in 2020. He has forged a solid partnership with Ben White at the heart of the Arsenal backline this season. The 24-year-old's steady rise has earned him admirers at the Camp Nou.
The Blaugrana could allow Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti to leave this summer. Manager Xavi Hernandez is looking for a new defender and has his eyes on Gabriel. The Gunners are unlikely to entertain any offers for their star. However, the Blaugrana could attempt to convince them with a player-plus cash offer.
Kevin Campbell criticises Mikel Arteta for Granit Xhaka decision
Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell has slammed Mikel Arteta for using Grant Xhaka in the left-back position against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Spaniard also opted for Albert Sambi Lokonga in midfield, but the move backfired.
Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell said that Xhaka is needed in midfield in the absence of the injured Thomas Partey.
"Arteta is getting criticised and rightly so. That one is on the manager. If Partey is not there, you need Granit Xhaka on the pitch. Coming from me, that is saying something. Xhaka has been a constant in midfield along with Partey. So to take him out of there to play left-back weakens us. That is what the big issue is," said Campbell.
He continued:
“The centre of the pitch is the engine room. Xhaka is not the best player, but he can do a job in there. He is also experienced, so he could help Sambi Lokonga. Sambi looked like he was on his own in there. It was not right. The team didn’t perform. It is simple. But the manager rightly comes under criticism because he moved our second-best midfielder to left-back when he really should have been in the middle of the pitch."
