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The Arsenal contract bonus that club hope will help keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
ARSENAL are reportedly hopeful they can keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang despite rumoured interest from China.
Arsenal: Aubameyang wins the Golden Boot award
It has been claimed that two Chinese clubs are after the striker’s signature with the Gabonese star impressing at Arsenal.
He has scored 41 goals in 65 appearances though will not be playing Champions League football at the Emirates next season.
The Gunners finished fifth in the Premier League before losing the Europa League final to Chelsea.
Nevertheless, Arsenal are hoping a clause in Aubameyang’s contract can persuade him to stay.
It’s understood the two clubs in China, Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG, are willing to offer Aubameyang in excess of £300,000-a-week for his services.
But the Standard claim that Aubameyang receives a £3.75m loyalty bonus for every season he completes at Arsenal.
And it’s this clause that mean the club are hopeful that Aubameyang will stay as the bonus would help offset the lure of a higher wage.
Aubemayang and strike partner Alexandre Lacazette hit 50 goals combined this season.
And Lacazette recently spoke about their partnership at Arsenal and how he wants it to flourish.
"I am not jealous of anyone. I just want to win trophies,” he said.
"Auba is the same and playing with him is always a pleasure.
"We want to be as perfect as possible and normally we work on the same wavelength and can sense each other’s runs.
"Sometimes it goes wrong and he will go left and I’ll put the ball to the right — but it’s always better when we can play together."
Arsenal boss Unai Emery could be busy this summer, though is set to have a reduced transfer budget.
Any sale of Aubameyang would increase his options but the Spaniard appears keen to keep the striker.