Ex-Arsenal stalwart Paul Merson believes his former club should keep captain and top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer and tell him he can leave for free next year if he helps fire them back into the Champions League.
The future of Gabon striker Aubameyang, 30, remains subject to intense speculation with his Gunners contract due to expire in June 2021.
The 30-year-old was linked with a potential move away from north London during the January transfer window amid links to Barcelona and Inter Milan, only to insist that he "loved" Arsenal and remained committed to the club.
Aubameyang has scored 14 goals in 23 top-flight matches so far this term and was selected by Mikel Arteta's predecessor Unai Emery as captain in November following the decision to remove the armband from Granit Xhaka.
Writing in his column for Sky Sports on Tuesday, former England international Merson - who made 327 league appearances and won two top-fight titles with Arsenal as a player - explained how he would handle a tricky situation.
"I thought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would be about 31, 32 when he left, and if I was Arsenal I'd keep him in the summer," he said.
"I'd keep him and say, you know what, give him what you can next year and get us into the Champions League and you can go for free.
"It's hard to buy goals, and he's a natural scorer."
If Aubameyang does leave Arsenal either this summer or next, fans will hope that Gabriel Martinelli - in addition to Alexandre Lacazette and any new signings - is able to continue to make the step up.
The Brazilian teenager has impressed hugely since joining from Ituano in July, though Merson believes it is unfair to expect him to shoulder such a heavy goal-scoring burden so early in his career.
"Gabriel Martinelli could be a top player and I like him, but if I keep Aubameyang I've got 15-20 goals, and that's some doing," Merson added.
"To ask Martinelli to come in and do that, you couldn't ask that.
"We think these players are 22 or 23, but at 18 to do it in this league, I'm a big fan of his, it's just all about timing."
