Johannesburg - Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s time at English Premier League club Arsenal may already be over, with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr making an offer to take the player on loan.
The 32-year-old did not feature at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) currently underway in Cameroon after testing positive for Covid-19 on arrival in the Central African nation on January 6.
Further medical tests on the player revealed 'heart lesions’ and he was released from the Gabon squad on Monday.
Although Arsenal have not officially confirmed the offer from Al-Nassr, the club did confirm Aubameyang’s condition is being investigated further.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has said that Aubameyang is having more medical tests carried out in London, since returning from Afcon.
”He is going through some examinations because we haven't had any clarity from the Gabon national team about why he came back," Arteta was quoted as saying by BBC Sport Africa.
"Our obligation is to make sure there are no more issues and that the player is safe and in good condition.
"Hopefully that is the case. He has never had any problems historically so that's where we are.”
Aubameyang hit the headlines last month when he was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy.
Arteta said it was a difficult, but correct, decision to strip Aubameyang of the captaincy on December 14.
The striker was dropped from the team to face Southampton on December 11 in an EPL clash, which Arsenal subsequently won 3-0 in London.
It is believed that Aubameyang was given permission to travel abroad in the week prior, but he returned late which was a breach of Covid-19 restrictions.
In March last year, Aubameyang missed an EPL match against Tottenham Hotspur because of a “breach of match protocol”.
The stripping of the captaincy already meant his future at the London club may be in serious jeopardy. Aubameyang joined Arsenal in 2018 and to date has made 128 appearances, and scored 68 goals.
IOL Sport