“You can’t keep falling out with people” – Martin Keown warns Arteta over ‘reputation’ after Aubameyang saga at Arsenal

Former Arsenal centre-back and legend Martin Keown criticized manager Mikel Arteta for his decision to shun former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gunners and Aubameyang agreed to part ways on mutual terms on February 1st. A day later, the 32-year-old Gabon international signed a contract with Barcelona until June 2025.

Aubameyang last played for the Gunners in a 2-1 loss to Everton in December 2021. He was omitted from the squad against Southampton after a disciplinary breach. Three days later, the club announced that Aubameyang had been stripped of the captaincy.

Keown believes that Arsenal should not have sold the striker to Barcelona. According to the former England center-back, Arteta’s decision was not in the club's best interests.

Keown told talkSPORT:

"What I wanted was for him [Arteta] to continue to get the best from a player, that’s the role of a manager isn’t it, win games and get the best from players?"

He added:

“Is this decision in the best interest of Arsenal football club? That’s all I’m looking at. There is no replacement that has come in for the striker. Arsenal are in a fight for fourth place and have an opportunity to do that."

Keown also claimed that none of the other high-profile managers had fallen out with so many players in such a short span. He said:

“What I don’t want also is the manager to get a reputation for falling out with players. I don’t know if another high profile manager has fallen out with so many players."

He added:

“Maybe it was easy to fall out with [Mesut] Ozil, people are saying I’m picking on him, but [Matteo] Guendouzi has since gone on and done quite well, he’s got into the French national team.”

Aubameyang is the latest in a line of players that Arteta has some sort of falling out with. The list includes Willian, Mesut Ozil, Matteo Guendouzi, Nicolas Pepe and William Saliba. The last two are still contracted to Arsenal although Saliba was sent on loan to Marseille in 2021.

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang’s fallout at Arsenal set to benefit Barcelona?

Aubameyang is still only 32, and will be determined to get back to form after an unsuccessful campaign and a half at Arsenal. The striker had regular injury issues last season and still scored 15 goals and put up four assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Regardless, Aubameyang maintained after moving to Barcelona that it was only Arteta who had an issue throughout the ordeal. He said:

“I think it was a problem just with him [Arteta]. He made the decision. I can’t say much more. He wasn’t happy, I stayed very calm and that’s it.”

Aubameyang joins a young Barcelona squad that had been aching for a striker to be signed in January. Xavi Hernandez has relied on Luuk de Jong for much of the season, with Memphis Depay also out injured. In Aubameyang, Barcelona get a proven world-class striker who only needs to maintain his fitness in order to improve the team substantially.

Barcelona were able to register all four of their new signings, including Aubameyang, for the Europa League knockout rounds. They will now be hopeful of winning the competition which is their only chance at silverware this season.