Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has questioned Mikel Arteta's decision to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang go in January.
Aubameyang was stripped of the club's captaincy back in December following a disciplinary breach before securing a move to Barcelona shortly after. It's understood that it wasn't the first time the Gabon international broke the rules, or as Arteta describes them, the 'non-negotiables'.
When discussing these non-negotiables in August of last year, the Spaniard said: "First of all, respect. The second one is commitment, and the third is passion.
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"Those three ingredients are non-negotiable. If you have them, then I am sure we will do great things together."
But Hasselbaink thinks that Arteta should have ignored his gut feeling and kept his former captain regardless, especially considering the Gunners still haven't signed a replacement.
He said on Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal's clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night: "I think they should have kept him [Aubameyang], especially if they don't have anyone to replace him.
"He may have been causing trouble on the pitch and off it, but he is the club's most expensive player and was the club captain, but he scored a lot of goals, and he has proven that since he has moved to Barcelona. And that is what Arsenal need, a goalscorer."
It was obviously a big gamble to get rid of Aubameyang, but it also shows that Arteta's true to his principles. If the Gunners manage to finish in the top four, it may end up being a genius decision - or alternatively, it could massively come back to bite him.
