Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang committed his future to English Premier League side Arsenal following weeks of speculation about a possible transfer away from the London club.
Aubameyang spoke in his programme notes before Arsenal hosted Championship side Leeds United in their FA Cup third-round tie at Emirates Stadium on Monday. He, however, missed the game due to illness.
Aubameyang, who captains both Gabon and Arsenal, stated that he loves the club and is desperate to return it to the top where it belongs.
“I would also like to react to some of the rumours that are going around about me in the media. People like making up stories and they should focus on what’s happening on the pitch. They talk too much and it does my head in,” Aubameyang wrote.
Arsenal endured a poor run of results this season which saw Spanish coach Unai Emery sacked leaving players like Aubameyang disillusioned at the club. He had since been linked with a number of big clubs like Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Barcelona.
However, the 30-year-old appears to have seen an improvement in performances since Mikel Arteta took over as head coach and that seems to have convinced him to stay.
“I’m sure you can see what we’re trying to do on the pitch, that you can see improvement in our performances and now it has materialised with a deserved win on Wednesday,” he wrote referencing Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Manchester United last week.
“The atmosphere was exceptional. When you are on the pitch and you feel the crowd roaring after every run, every tackle, every duel and after every chance, it gives you such a boost mentally. The Emirates felt like a fortress.”
Aubameyang, who has 18 months left on his contract, put off negotiations over a contract extension in December.
He joined Arsenal from German club Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 for a then club record fee of £56 million (now about $73 million).
He has scored 45 goals in 70 Premier League appearances for the Gunners and shared the Golden Boot in the 2018/2019 season with Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
