Martin Keown has insisted Mikel Arteta cannot keep “falling out” with players at Arsenal.
Arsenal legend Martin Keown has sent a warning to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta following his decision to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave last month.
Aubameyang joined Barcelona on a free transfer on deadline day after falling out of favour under Arteta in recent months.
The 32-year-old, who scored 92 goals in 163 appearances for the Gunners, was stripped of his captaincy and hadn’t played for the team since the 2-1 loss to Everton in December.
He opened up about his falling out with Arteta after leaving the club, and said: “I think it was a problem just with him [Arteta].
“He made the decision. I can’t say much more. He wasn’t happy, I stayed very calm and that’s it.”
However, Keown believes the Gunners boss risks developing “a reputation” for clashing with players.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan show, Keown said: “What I wanted was for him [Arteta] to continue to get the best from a player, that’s the role of a manager isn’t it, win games and get the best from players?
“What I don’t want also is the manager to get a reputation for falling out with players. I don’t know if another high profile manager has fallen out with so many players.
“Maybe it was easy to fall out with [Mesut] Ozil, people are saying I’m picking on him, but [Matteo] Guendouzi has since gone on and done quite well, he’s got into the French national team.
“There have been one or two fall outs, and he may feel like he’s eradicating a culture that was allowed to grow under Arsene Wenger, and I understand that.
“But at the same time all footballers are very different, so what you have to do if find a way to get the best from everybody. You can’t keep falling out with people!”
Keown has questioned if Arsenal is a club players would want to join
Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, and Matteo Guendouzi have all left the club under Arteta after a falling out, and Keown fears the Spaniard’s track record could do more harm than good to the club.
“You could argue that it seems Arteta is saying to his players, ‘if you step out of line, you’re out’, but maybe not if you’re Xhaka,” he continued. “Xhaka has stepped out of line quite a few times and come straight back into the team.
“I thought Aubameyang was part of Arteta’s greatest success, winning the FA Cup, and it was a shame he was allowed to leave. It’s a shame the welcoming hand wasn’t shown to him after the captaincy was taken away.
“…Other players are looking in, ‘Are we going to Arsenal Football Club?’ Can we attract the big players?”
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