Martin Keown urges Arteta to strip Aubameyang of captaincy amid Contract renewal

Previous Arsenal defender Martin Keown trusts Mikel Arteta must remove the chief's armband from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if the captain will not sign another agreement.

Aubameyang's present arrangement lapses in summer 2021 and Arsenal face a dubious choice about whether to pause and expectation he signs an augmentation - and chance losing him on a free one year from now - or choose to sell him this late spring.

Keown told takSPORT: "I think the message should be to the player 'look, we can't make them commander the club if there's vulnerability around your agreement', in the most recent year of his agreement, that can't be permitted to occur."

Springnobs understand that so many European clubs are eyeing a move for Aubameyang including Barcelona and Manchester united.