"Dealt with that magnificently" - Sam Allardyce hails Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's handling of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang situation

Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce is impressed with how Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has dealt with senior players failing to adhere to the standards at the club.

Arteta replaced Unai Emery as the Gunners' manager in December 2019. Since then, many players have left the north London club, including senior stars Mesut Ozil, Hector Bellerin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Sead Kolasinac.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang became the latest to be let go by Arteta. The Gabon international was stripped of the captaincy because of disciplinary issues. He was then allowed by Arteta to join Barcelona for free in the winter transfer window.

The Spaniard's way of handling players who have not pulled their weight has left Allardyce in awe. The veteran manager stressed the need for players to adhere to the standards at a club, especially in terms of discipline. He told Ladbrokes (via Inside Futbol):

“He’s had a lot of big, senior players who haven’t been pulling their weight, and personally I think he’s dealt with those situations very well. Aubameyang, in particular, was the most recent example. That incident showed everyone at the football club that it doesn’t matter who you are; it doesn’t matter how big you think you are – if you’ve been honoured with the captain’s armband for a club like Arsenal, to disrespect that, to disrespect the manager, and to disrespect Arsenal Football Club, I can’t sympathise with how Arteta deals with you."

“He dealt with that magnificently well, because it shows the rest of the team that there’s a certain level of expectation when it comes to discipline, and if you’re not going to adhere to that, you’re gone.”

The Spanish tactician is looking to return the Gunners to the Champions League next season. The north London giants currently sit sixth in the Premier League table with 39 points from 22 games. They trail fourth-placed Manchester United by four points, but have three games in hand.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to ship more senior players?

Over the last two years, the Spaniard has moved deadwood out of the club. The Gunners now boast a largely young team, with most of their key players being under 25.

Only Alexandre Lacazette and Cedric Soares are over 29 in the current Arsenal squad.

The former is in the final five months of his contract with Arteta's side, and could be on his way out of the Emirates in the summer. Meanwhile, Soares could also be sold. Granit Xhaka, 29, is another player who could be sold by the Gunners soon.