The cat is finally out of the bag and I don’t know about you, but I for one am glad, because it was all starting to drag on a bit.

Aubameyang has committed his future to The Arsenal for the next three years. And I don’t think there’s a proper gooner out there who isn’t happy.

This was a key move that needed to be made by the club. Aubameyang is our talisman, our captain, an inspiration and such a loved figure at the club. You see it in every training picture that he’s in. The players gel with him. Remember when he came over to the squad when we’d just won the FA Cup? They all shouted and enveloped him in celebration and I think this signature that is now confirmed will give a lot of confidence to the players that are at the club right now. It is a boost at a time where the mood is good at The Arsenal and that will beget more good vibes that we’re seeing around this team that is evolving under Mikel Arteta.

It is a move that some might question due to his age and the financial side, but this isn’t Mesut Ozil, and it isn’t the same situation as we find ourselves in with the German. Aubameyang scored at the weekend, he is in red hot form and – providing he doesn’t pick up a nasty injury – he will hopefully continue that form throughout the rest of this season. And thereafter he’ll have another two year’s on his deal with which to do it again next season. And do you know what? If he starts to dip a little the season after this, then it is not like we have a player on a five year deal, is it? The length of the deal still suits Arsenal and whereas Ozil’s was a LOT of cash over five years, this is a LOT of cash, but over a shorter period.

I also think the type of character the two are makes a big difference in anyone trying to look at this agreement as a potential problem for us in future. Aubameyang is front and centre. He is a player who steps out and is the centre of the team. Ozil has always been the master working in the background. Even before he signed the agreement a few years ago he was a played often derided for his body language, he was sometimes questioned by other fans for his outputs, but at the time he was delivering and that’s all we cared about. Auba is a different animal and this deal feels like it is the right one for the club.

It will also ensure that he doesn’t feel like an Alexis Sanchez character. Again, totally different players, but Alexis was with su for three years, gave us some great memories, then buggered off. Auba will at least enter his fourth year at the club and possibly longer and if he can continue to bag goals for the club during that time, he’ll find himself up there with the Henry’s, Wright’s and George’s of the clubs history.

He spoke of that with Wrighty yesterday in what was an amazing video to watch. It was just so good to see both of them on the Emirates pitch, chatting about leaving a mark on the club and above all of a legacy. I don’t think any Arsenal fan would disagree that Ian Wright left quite a legacy at The Arsenal. He is revered amongst us fans and rightly so, because he is a legend who scored some great goals with us and helped us to win trophies, notably the FA Cup in 93 when he scored in the semi final. He signed for the club when he was 28 year’s old from Crystal Palace. Auba signed for us from Dortmund at the same age. Wrighty achieved legendary status in seven year’s at the club. I don’t know that Auba will be at Arsenal for seven years, but if he bags goals and gives us two to three years of what we’ve already had, he will 100% become a legend.

He will 100% have a legacy.

This is a great move for Arsenal and you can understand why the PR and social media team wanted to milk it for everything it’s worth, because it was great news and a great day to be an Arsenal fan, and I think the PR/Social media guys played an absolute blinder to be honest. The video of Auba talking about his family, the interview with Ian Wright, the way in which they toyed with fans in the afternoon, it was all brilliant. Kudos to them.

What we need to do now though is give the captain the players and tools around him to succeed at the club. We all know we’re way off competing for the league and with some of the acquisitions from some of the other players that have been signed by rivals this season, it is even going to be tough to get into the top four this season. But I trust in Mikel Arteta that he will set us up to get the maximum from the players we’ve got and I trust the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to get the goals that will drive us closer towards our ambitions.

It was a good day yesterday, but also on a slightly sadder note, a day in which we effectively said goodbye to Emi Martinez. He posted a ‘Thank you Arsenal’ message on his Instagram. It is sad to say goodbye to a guy who I wondered whether he’d be able to take over from Leno this season, but it doesn’t look to be and all that’s left now is the official confirmation. The money will go into the coffers to strengthen elsewhere and I think I’m coming to terms with it. I didn’t want it to happen, I still feel the feel of £20million is too low, but as somebody has already pointed out to me if we’d have been offered £6million before lockdown we’d have probably have taken it for a guy who hadn’t even got into double figures of Premier League appearances at the club. Farewell Emi and good luck, except when you play us, of course.

Until tomorrow you wonderful people.