Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is STRIPPED of the Arsenal captaincy and won’t face West Ham after £350,000-a-week star’s THREE ‘discipline breaches’ caused a dressing room split
Arsenal have sensationally stripped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the club captaincy and he will not be considered for Wednesday’s match against West Ham.
The forward was axed from the squad that recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday after reporting back for club duty late from an approved trip abroad last week.
And Mikel Arteta has now ruthlessly taken the armband off the star striker.
Sportsmail has previously reported the controversy has amplified pre-existing reservations from figures inside the club’s training ground about Aubameyang’s position as skipper.
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has had the captaincy taken off him
But it was felt that any move to take the armband off the 32-year-old could cause major disruption in the team due to Aubameyang’s influence in the squad.
Arteta benched the forward for the north London derby against Tottenham in March due to lateness, while he was also reprimanded by Arsenal in February over a possible Covid-19 regulations breach.
Aubameyang and Arteta are said to share no more than a ‘working’ relationship, though the Gunners boss was at pains to deny any rift with his star striker.
The forward was given the club captaincy under Arteta’s predecessor, Unai Emery, and is on a £350,000-a-week contract that runs until 2023. It is hard to see how he has a future at the Gunners after this latest run-in, but his astronomical wages will be a stumbling block to any club wishing to sign him.
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