Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has suggested Mikel Arteta's inability to manage big characters played a part in the pair falling out.
Aubameyang began last season as captain of the London side, but was stripped of the armband midway through the season after a disciplinary breach. The club went on to offload him to Barcelona without receiving a transfer fee, and he then returned to London in August with a deadline day move to Chelsea.
In the months since the Gabonese striker's Arsenal exit, theories on the relationship with Arteta have spread, either from players themselves or on the All or Nothing documentary. As Arsenal continue their impressive start to the season, beating Liverpool on Sunday to keep themselves top of the table, some more words from their former skipper have come to light.
"To manage big characters or big players, he can’t deal with it," Aubameyang told A Jewellers. "He needs some young players, they don’t say anything, they listen.
In the interview, filmed over the summer in a hotel room in Paris, the striker is also asked about which Arsenal players he sees as the stars of the future. " Obviously [Bukayo] Saka, and for me [Gabriel] Martinelli," he says.
Saka and Martinelli have both impressed this season, with the pair helping Arteta's side overcome Liverpool on Sunday. Martinelli opened the scoring early on, while Saka's two goals included the match-winning penalty 15 minutes from time.
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Aubameyang's final Arsenal appearance came in December 2021, in a defeat at Everton. He scored 13 times in half a season for Barcelona, saying the move "changed my life", but left after the Catalan club spent big over the summer on the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
"I remember they [Barcelona] first called my father and we knew that the coach wanted me," Aubameyang explained. "Then he [Xavi] called me and said ‘I didn’t know there is an opportunity because you have those problems with Arsenal, but if you come you will help us a lot,’ and I said okay."
He joined Chelsea in anticipation of a reunion with Thomas Tuchel, his manager during an earlier spell at Borussia Dortmund, but played just one game before the German has sacked. Aubameyang has stayed involved under new Chelsea boss Graham Potter, though, scoring in victories over Crystal Palace and AC Milan.
"I think he is a person who is really positive and with a great character," the 33-year-old said of Potter. "We will try to learn with him. We want to win as soon as possible.
"I think his idea is very clear so I think it is going to be easy. I think it takes time to adapt to each other as well but it is going to be okay"
