Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Stripped of Arsenal Captaincy after Disciplinary Breach

Aubameyang was dropped from Mikel Arteta’s squad for Saturday’s victory over Southampton and will not be considered for selection against West Ham United on Wednesday.

It was the second time that Aubameyang had been left out of Arteta’s team for disciplinary reasons, and came after he returned late from a sanctioned trip abroad.

Aubameyang was also dropped for lateness in March, when Arsenal played north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 32-year-old, the oldest player in Arsenal’s squad, was made captain of the club in November 2019 after Granit Xhaka was stripped of the armband.

In a club statement, Arsenal said: “We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed.”

The removal of the captaincy from Aubameyang raises serious doubts about his long-term future at the club. He is Arsenal’s highest-earner and their top scorer, but has struggled in recent weeks and had been dropped to the bench before this latest disciplinary breach.

Telegraph Sport reported in the summer that Arsenal would listen to offers for their striker but there are few clubs who would be able or willing to match his £250,000-per-week wages.

Despite his struggles in recent weeks, Aubameyang is still Arsenal’s top scorer this season with seven goals to his name. Three of those came in a League Cup victory against West Bromwich Albion.

There are few obvious candidates to replace Aubameyang as captain, with Arsenal just months into a drastic rebuild of their squad under Arteta’s management.

The likes of Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard are seen as leaders on the pitch, while Alexandre Lacazette wore the armband in Aubameyang’s absence on Saturday. Lacazette, however, is due to leave the club at the end of the season and is a close ally of Aubameyang.

Xhaka remains at the club, and is regarded internally as the squad’s natural leader, but he has hinted before that he would be unwilling to wear the armband again.

The captaincy was removed from Xhaka by former head coach Unai Emery after the midfielder clashed with Arsenal supporters during a draw with Crystal Palace.

The previous captain of the club was Laurent Koscielny, who left under a cloud in the summer of 2019. Koscielny had refused to join the first-team squad on their pre-season tour of the United States, and subsequently left for Bordeaux.