Arsenal’s Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a new-long term contract with the English Premier League club.
The 31-year-old striker joined the London club from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and has since scored 72 goals in 111 appearances.
Arsenal has now rewarded the 2015 African Footballer of the Year with a new three-year-deal, with Aubameyang promising he wants to lift more trophies and leave a long-term legacy.
Last season, Aubameyang helped the Gunners with FA Cup by scoring twice in a 2-1 win over 10-man Chelsea and a spot in next season’s Europa League.
“Signing for this special club was never in doubt,” Aubameyang told the club website. “It’s thanks to our fans, my team-mates, my family and everybody at this club that I feel like I belong here. I believe in Arsenal. We can achieve big things together. We have something exciting here and I believe the best is to come for Arsenal.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised Aubameyang for choosing to remain with the Gunners , describing the Gabon national team captain as a great leader.
“It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us. He’s a superb player with an incredible mentality. Being the player to have taken the least amount of time to reach 50 goals with this club tells you everything you need to know about him and his way of working,” Arteta said.
“He’s an important leader for the team and a big part of what we’re building. He wants to be up there with the best players in the world and leave his mark. He can achieve that here.”
Aubameyang joined Arsenal for a club record £56m after Dortmund rejected two earlier bids from the Gunners.
He was named Bundesliga player of the year in 2016, and in the following season was the German top flight’s most prolific scorer with 31 goals.
In his first full season with Arsenal, Aubameyang jointly won the Premier League Golden Boot with 22 goals.
In the recently concluded English Premier League season, the striker scored 29 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions.
Aubameyang kicked off this season in a positive note as he scored against Liverpool in the Community Shield, with the Gunners lifting the trophy on penalties.
