Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes there is nothing the club or manager Mikel Arteta will be able to do to stop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving if he decides his future lies away from the Gunners.
The Gabonese striker has been arguably Arsenal's most important player ever since he arrived from Dortmund in 2017, and he has scored an impressive 56 goals in 89 games in all competitions.
Although the 30-year-old appears to be happy at the club as things stand, his contract is set to expire in 2021, and he has been linked with a move to the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid .
Winterburn thinks that if Aubameyang decides the time has come for pastures new, the club will be powerless to keep him in north London.
Speaking to Love Sport Radio Winterburn said: "If a player wants to leave and run down his contract, there's not really anything you can do.
"It doesn't matter who you are or who you have at your club- if the player wants to leave, he will leave. Aubameyang will have his own views on what he wants to do. Players hold the key to everything now- you cannot force a player to sign.
"It's crazy if the club don't want him to stay, but Arteta will try to persuade him with style of play, and who comes into the club, too."
Aubameyang is the Gunners' top scorer so far this season with 15 goals in all competitions, with his last strike coming in the 2-1 loss to Chelsea last month.
He will be hoping to add to that tally when Arsenal take on Leeds in the FA Cup third round on Monday and will then turn his attention back towards Premier League matters when they face Crystal Palace next weekend.
