Former Arsenal forward Kevin Campbell believes his old club are shooting themselves in the foot yet again over their reluctance to offer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a new deal.
Aubameyang is the club's top goal-scorer this season with 17 Premier League goals and scored an additional 22 Premier League goals last season.
But the forward only has one year left on his Arsenal contract and there has been no breakthrough in negotiations over a new deal at the Emirates.
Both Barcelona and Inter Milan have been linked with the services of the Gabon international as a result of those breakdown in negotiations.
Speaking over the weekend on the speculation over his future, the forward admitted there has been no new contract offer made by the Gunners.
“They know very well why so far nothing has happened,” he told Telefoot.
“They have the keys. It is up to them to do their work and, after that, we will see how things go.”
And Campbell believes that the Gabon international still has plenty to offer and is well worth the big money deal.
“Aubameyang guarantees you goals, and if you sell your goals you’re in a very difficult position to replace them,” he told talkSPORT Breakfast on Monday morning.
“He’s guaranteed to get you 20 goals a season, minimum, so how are you going to replace that?
“If you don’t give him what he wants, it’s going to cost more to find someone to replace him, and even then they are not proven they can come in and do it.
“He’s in the building! Yes, he’s going to be 31 but he’s still lean, he’s still sharp, he’s still fast – this is the type of player you build around.
“I don’t know what they’re thinking at the club, but I’d have signed him a year ago!
Before Campbell added: “I think Arsenal have shot themselves in the foot yet again
“They’ve played a game and they’ve taken a risk hoping that they’ll qualify for the Champions League so that would obviously push him to be signing, but it isn’t quite working out this season.
“It’s a very, very dangerous game that they’re playing. The backroom people and the hierarchy said they would never put themselves in this position again, but what have they done? They’ve put themselves in this situation again!
“The club has been run so poorly on the transfer retention side, they keep putting themselves in this very difficult situation and it’s not right, fans are going to go crazy about it.
“I think Aubameyang is right to put the ball firmly in their court and it’s now up to Arsenal to make some moves and prove to him that they’re serious.
“As an Arsenal fan I want him to stay, of course I do, but if I’m Aubameyang, I’ve been at Arsenal all this time and they have been messing around!
“What Arsenal have been doing, skimping and scraping, is not going to turn his head to stay. If Mikel Arteta wants to keep him they have to break the bank to keep him, they have to.”
