On Friday Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, has disclosed that captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, decided to turn down Barcelona’s offer to stay at Emirates because the FA Cup champions are “as big” as the La Liga giants.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash against West Ham United on Saturday, Arteta was quoted by Sky Sports as saying: “I think a big reason why Auba is staying is because we have an incredible football team.
“We’ve some fantastic people working here, and he feels the love from the fans.
“I did my part, explaining to him what we are trying to do, explaining to him how important he is going to be, what we are building. That is it. The club has to take credit for that and all the people who put together this package for him to stay.”
When quizzed on interest from Barcelona and Inter Milan, Arteta added: “The size of our club is as big as those names. The most important thing is the football club. What we inspire to be and what we can achieve in the future.
“We must make sure that our players believe in our project.”
