Transfer News: Inter Milan join race for Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reportedly emerged as a summer transfer target for Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan outfit.

As per the report from the Mirror, Serie A heavyweights Inter Milan have now joined the race to sign Arsenal captain and star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Aubameyang has been a huge hit at Arsenal since signing from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018. The 30-year-old has scored 57 goals in 92 matches for the Gunners so far in all competitions. Having won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2018-19 season, Aubameyang is in contention for the top goalscorer prize once again this term, with 14 goals in 23 matches already.

There is no questioning the importance of Aubameyang to this Arsenal side, but his future has been cast into doubts in recent weeks. The Gabonese marksman has just eighteen months left on his current contract with the North London outfit and talks over a new deal haven’t progressed as per plans for the club.

The report claims that Arsenal had put forth a new bumper contract worth £350,000-a-week, which Aubameyang has rejected due to the lack of Champions League football on offer. The 30-year-old has not played in Europe’s premier competition since joining the Gunners and qualification for the next season’s event looks doubtful as well, with the club currently 11th in the table.

With Aubameyang set to enter the final year of his contract at the end of the season, several clubs across Europe have taken note of the situation and are plotting a swoop in the summer window. Barcelona and PSG had been heavily linked with the Arsenal star in January, are likely to be back in for him as they seek replacements for Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani respectively.

And as per latest reports, Inter Milan have also joined the hunt for Aubameyang. Antonio Conte is building a squad to bring an end to Juventus’ supremacy in the Serie A and has heavily recruited from the Premier League over the past two transfer windows with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Christian Eriksen among them.

There have been speculations over the future of Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez, who is also on the radars of Barcelona. And should he depart, the Nerazzurri signing Aubameyang makes complete sense. Even if Martinez stays Inter are likely to push for the Arsenal captain’s signing, with there being slim chances of converting Sanchez’s loan deal into a permanent one.

Arsenal do not want to let Aubameyang enter the final year of his contract and risk losing him for nothing in 2021, having faced a similar situation with Aaron Ramsey last summer. To that end, if they are unable to convince the 30-year-old star to pen an extension, the Gunners will demand a transfer fee of £70 million for their captain, as per the report.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Aubameyang. Given his star power, there will be no shortage of suitors for the 30-year-old and it will be interesting to see if he ends up staying at Arsenal or seals a summer transfer to Inter Milan or any other clubs.