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Arsenal will NOT sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January transfer and will use Afcon break to get skipper back on side

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ARSENAL want to use next month’s Africa Cup of Nations as a period to reset relations with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The star striker is smarting after being stripped of the captaincy for breaches of club discipline.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been exiled from the Arsenal first-teamCredit: PA
But Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has no plans to cash in on the striker next monthCredit: REX

But Arsenal are not planning to sell him in January and weaken their squad for the crucial second half of the season.

Aubameyang has trained alone since returning late from a trip to France to visit his mother which had been sanctioned by the club.

And he is unlikely to be involved in their last two Prem fixtures of the year against Norwich and Wolves before flying to Cameroon with the Gabon squad.

The stand-off has sparked suggestions Arsenal will sell their top scorer who cost £60million when he was signed from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

Barcelona and Juventus have been credited with an interest, although both would struggle to meet Aubameyang’s basic £250,000-a-week salary with various bonuses on top which can make it up to £350,000-a-week.

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And the fact that he will turn 33 at the end of the season means his resale value is nowhere near the fee which Arsenal paid for him.

But Arteta has no intention of allowing the player to leave.

With Arsenal fourth in the table and in with a real chance of securing Champions League qualification for the first time since 2017, Arteta wants all hands on deck for the final push.

Allowing Aubameyang (below) to go without securing another striker would leave them short in the event of an injury to Alexandre Lacazette.

The situation is further complicated as Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are in the final few months of their contracts.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy earlier this monthCredit: Getty

Aubameyang has 18 months left on the lucrative deal which he signed in September last year and remains a key member of the squad in spite of his spell on the naughty step.

Arteta, who accused the player of failing to demonstrate “the commitment and passion” to play for the club, feels he has made his point and is open to Auba’s return when his AFCON commitments are completed.

Whether the player is so eager to let bygones be bygones is not so certain.

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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk

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