"He left him out to dry" - Paul Merson says Arsenal star won't play for the club again

Former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not play for the Gunners again. The former Borussia Dortmund hitman has been frozen out of the squad by Mikel Arteta due to 'disciplinary issues'.

Aubameyang has not made an appearance for Arsenal since the north London club's 2-1 loss to Everton in the Premier League on December 6. He was also stripped of the captain's armband.

The Gunners have lacked quality in attack in recent weeks. They have failed to score in their last four games in all competitions. Despite their ongoing struggles in the final third, Merson believes Arteta is unlikely to include Aubameyang in the squad in the near future.

"No, not for me. I think Arteta has already laid that one out. I think he has chopped his nose there," Merson told Sky Sports.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, but the deal has failed to materialize. Reports have suggested Mikel Arteta has prioritized the signing of a top-quality striker.

But Merson claims that Aubameyang is unlikely to play even if the club fail to sign a striker during the ongoing transfer window.

"He left him out to dry. It is going to be some going for the lad to come back. It could [cost them a top-four]. But i don't think Aubameyang is going to get them into the top-four, though. For me, pick your best players. I just think what has happened between the manager and him needs to be sorted out first," he added.

Aubameyang endured a difficult first-half of the season with the Gunners before being frozen out of the club's squad. He managed to score just four goals in 14 appearances in all competitions, and looked a shadow of the player he was during his first couple of seasons with the club.

Barcelona could attempt to sign Arsenal outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Manchester United v Arsenal - Premier League

Spanish giants Barcelona have made no secret of their desire to sign a top-quality striker in recent weeks. The club managed to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City in a deal worth €55 million earlier this month, but are keen to add an out-and-out goalscorer to their squad.

Barcelona were heavily linked with a move for Juventus loanee Alvaro Morata during the opening stages of the January transfer window, but the deal failed to materialize. According to The Independent, the Catalan club could look to sign Arsenal outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Despite his recent struggles, Aubameyang has managed to score 68 goals in just 128 Premier League appearances for the Gunners. Barcelona could attempt to sign the Gabon international on loan for the rest of the season with an option to buy.

The former Dortmund striker will, however, have to take a major pay-cut if he is to join Barcelona. The La Liga giants are currently in a dire financial situation, and are unlikely to be able to afford the 32-year-old's current £350,000-per-week salary that he is earning in North London.