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Why Pierre Emerick-Aubamyenag could be the answer to City’s number nine woes

By Nikhil Venkat Sai

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 06: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal reacts during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on December 06, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 06: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal reacts during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on December 06, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City are currently without a striker in their ranks and are in desperate need of one if they are to launch a substantial bid for the UEFA Champions League title.

All the top teams in the competition in Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Liverpool do have a proper finisher in their XI and this is a worrisome detail for Pep Guardiola and his men, who have been playing the ‘false 9’ system since the start of the last season. With Arsenal blocking out Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, things could get a little interesting with City in the background.

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has been at the center of controversy at Arsenal. The former Borussia Dortmund striker has been stripped of the captaincy and a place in the XI. This happened in mid-December and the Gabon striker hasn’t featured for the Gunners since then, missing 6 games with Arsenal winning five of them. The 32-year-old was reprimanded because of indiscipline.

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The 32-year-old joined Arsenal for (then) a club record fee of £56 million, from Dortmund, in the winter of 2018. The striker played 13 games for the Gunners that season in the Premier League and finished the season with 10 goals and 4 assists.

Overall, Aubameyang has made 128 appearances for the former Premier League champions in the PL and has managed to score 68 goals and register 16 assists. There is no question of quality and finishing when it comes to Aubameyang as the striker has done well to establish himself as one of the better strikers of the game, with his electric pace and shooting.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 02: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal wears an armband to show support for the Rainbow Laces campaign during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on December 02, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 02: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal wears an armband to show support for the Rainbow Laces campaign during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on December 02, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Manchester City could target Aubameyang this month with the Gunners said to be open to listening to suitable offers for the 32-year-old who is said to be on a £350,000/week contract. 

With age not on his side, Aubameyang certainly has the ability to start for Manchester City and he could be a temporary solution for City’s number nine woes. The Cityzens have been without a striker for most of the last season (on account of Sergio Aguero’s injury and then later, COVID) and this season.

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The season is currently at a crucial juncture and the addition of Aubameyang could ease things in the final third to an extent. Moreover, it would allow Pep Guardiola to rotate his midfield with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Ilkay Gundogan playing the role of ‘false nine’ more often than not.

It remains to be seen the kind of price that the Gunners are expecting for their striker, who only has 18 months left in his contract.

For now, City could decide to sign Aubameyang on a short-term basis and could even decide to keep him at the club as a backup striker, with the Cityzens being tipped as the favorites to sign Erling Haaland next summer. However, one thing is very clear; Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is already one foot outside of Arsenal with the club said to have given up on him. The Gunners are looking to part ways with the Gabon international this winter itself.