Mikel Arteta’s Words Convinced Me Into Staying – Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang revealed talks with Mikel Arteta was crucial to him penning down new deal at Arsenal.

Ian Wright decided to interview the Gabon international after he signed a three-year deal on Tuesday.

Aubameyang there were several factors that convinced him into staying but one of the most important ones was the coach. Arteta spoke into the 31-year-old’s ear about building an Emirates legacy and that struck a different chord with Aubameyang.

“I had a chat with Mikel (Arteta), that I think he gave me something very clear about the idea of the future of the club and about me,” Auba told the club’s website.

“He was straight and honest, and that’s what I like because we are always honest. He said, ‘Okay, you can maybe leave. I don’t know what your mind is [thinking] right now, but you can leave and go for trophies at other clubs or you can stay here and have a legacy. This, for me, was the key word.

“We had a chat when we were in lockdown,” Auba added. “He called me. Normally we have to speak about a game. He called me and said, ‘Forget about it.’ I had prepared maybe two pages and he said, ‘Yeah, forget about it. Let’s talk about real things.’

“He said, ‘I want to be honest with you, how do you feel?’ And I was like, ‘I have to say the truth, I feel very good.’ It was maybe two months, or three months that he was here and the training, you can feel the passion.

“You can feel everything from this guy. He is so good, he’s the kind of guy who you can trust in him.”