"It was part of the strategy" - Mikel Arteta explains why Arsenal decided to terminate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently opened up about Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure from the north London outfit earlier this year, claiming it was the club's decision as a whole.

Aubameyang, 33, was stripped of the Gunners captaincy in December last year for several disciplinary reasons. His contract at the Emirates Stadium was terminated in February, paving the way for his move to Barcelona in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta shed light on Aubameyang's exit:

"First of all, I didn't take that decision, we took that decision as a club. Obviously, there's my recommendation and what I feel that we need to do to get where we want. But I wouldn't like to single out one player. I think it was with several players. It was part of the strategy of what we're trying to build."

Sharing his thoughts on Arsenal's rebuilding process, Arteta added:

"At the end of the day, when you're in that process and you want to go faster, there are people holding the boat [back] and putting weight on it. I'm sorry but we want to go even faster and there's no time, whether it's a player or a staff member, for someone damaging the club and we made that decision."

After a productive six-month stint at Camp Nou, Aubameyang joined Chelsea for a fee of £10 million on the deadline day of the summer transfer window. So far, he has registered just three goals and one assist in 12 games across all competitions for the Blues this season.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reveals his five-phase plan at Emirates Stadium

Speaking to the aforementioned sources, Mikel Arteta asserted that Arsenal are already ahead of his five-phase plan, which he formulated after his appointment in the role of head coach in December 2019.

Arteta's plans have already started yielding results, as Arsenal are currently placed at the top of the Premier League standings, with 37 points from 14 games. They are five points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

He said:

"The important ones are my wife and my family because that's when you really open up, open up about your feelings, and say exactly the way you are feeling. Then the coaching staff, I think they are critical, you can really sense what is happening, how they are feeling, how they can help you."

He continued:

"The third one is to have a club behind you that is understanding what the situation is and what it's going take to move from where we are, from here to there. The good thing is I had a really clear plan, I put a plan of five different phases for the club – where we are compared with the rest of the teams."

Arsenal are next scheduled to be in action in a Premier League home encounter against West Ham United on Monday (December 26).