Martin Keown warns Arsenal to avoid Mesut Ozil contract blunder with Aubameyang
Arsenal have been warned not to repeat the mistake they made by handing a mega-money contract to Mesut Ozil when it comes to renegotiating with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Ozil had just six months remaining on his deal when he finally put pen to paper on an agreement which sees him bank a staggering £350,000-per-week.
The Gunners refused to be held to ransom by Aaron Ramsey, who left for Juventus on a free transfer last summer.
Now the club finds itself once again in a similar scenario as they attempt strike deals with star strikers Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
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But Arsenal hero Martin Keown has warned his former club to be cautious of making the former Borussia Dortmund and Lyon stars bumper contracts, in case things go sour as they have with Ozil.
“Key decisions need to be made [with Aubameyang and Lacazette],” Keown told Goal, while speaking as an ambassador for the FA and McDonald's Grassroot Football Awards.
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“Are they going to stay or not? Do Arsenal have to face up to the prospect of perhaps losing Aubameyang? I wouldn’t want to see him go, but they don’t want to be held to ransom either.
“You could argue with Ozil that’s what happened because at the time [Alexis] Sanchez and Ozil were two big players and they didn’t want to lose both so they invested heavily in Ozil.”
Keown also believes it's vital that the Gunners back boss Mikel Areta in the transfer market this summer.
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The Spaniard signed defensive reinforcements in the form of Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares on loan in January – but made no permanent signings.
“Arteta has got to be allowed to build the team,” Keown added. “He’s got to be given money to develop.
“Do the owners need to be put some of their own money in? Obviously there are limits to the losses the club can run at, we know that with Manchester City in recent weeks and what they’ve gone through, but expenditure needs to be made in the team.”
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