Emmanuel Petit believes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should leave the club – and that 75 per cent of the current Arsenal players don’t deserve to be at the club.
Aubameyang’s future is perhaps the biggest talking point for the Gunners this summer, with the Gabon striker’s contract set to expire next summer.
Fans are desperate not to lose another of their star players, but with the 31-year-old able to leave the club for free next year if no new deal is agreed, Arsenal may well have to look to cash in on him this summer.
And, speaking in his column for Paddy Power, former Gunner Petit has said he would depart if he was in Aubameyang’s shoes, citing a lack of quality in the current squad.
“If I was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, I would leave Arsenal,” Petit said.
“There is some quality in this team but when you arrive at the club nowadays you want to do great things. But, come on guys, Arsenal is not the same any more.
“It's becoming an average club.
“I feel so sorry for the fans and all the people who love the club. I feel sorry for the former players that try to uphold the Arsenal reputation.
“But I don’t feel sorry for the players - I think 75 per cent of them at the club at the moment don't deserve to wear that shirt. They should look at themselves in the mirror and show some pride.”
Comparing the current squad to the one he played in during the late 1990s, Petit added: “The spirit we had in our team, with Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Ray Parlour – it has been gone for a long time. Arsenal have some very good players but we need personality.
“Before Covid-19 came, I thought things were different but I was surprised after the Premier League resumed to find that we’re back in the old days. Nothing changed.
“It’s all a question of mentality and desire. I haven’t seen any of that at Arsenal since football came back. They could have played for a century against Man City without getting a shot on goal.
“I wish Mikel Arteta good luck because I think he’s a quality manager but just like Unai Emery and Wenger, what is he supposed to do with these players?”
