A former Gunner has questioned whether the Gabon global ought to be considered among the greatest foreign imports in top-flight history.
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang must keep his output in front of goal for a longer period before he can make a spot in the Premier League’s hall of fame, based on Ray Parlour.
The Gunners snapped up a highly-rated frontman for a fee of #56 million ($73m) from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, which stood as a club record at the time.
Aubameyang made the transition from the Bundesliga into the Premier League seamlessly, scoring 10 goals in his first 13 Premier League appearances, despite playing in an out-of-form Arsenal side struggling for optimism.
The 30-year-old went on to acquire a share of the Golden Boot along with Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane last year, netting on 22 occasions, while forming a formidable partnership up front with Alexandre Lacazette.
Aubameyang has added another 19 goals to his Arsenal tally across all contests in 2019-20, with his latest dual coming in a 3-2 victory over Everton at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville hailed the Gabon global after another match-winning performance, insisting he should now be”cited as world-class” after leading the line for two-and-a-half years in an Arsenal shirt.
Neville also suggested Aubameyang has joined the list of great foreign players to have graced the Premier League, but Parlour does not believe he’s earned such a status just yet.
“I think you have to look somewhat more at strength,” the ex-Arsenal midfielder told talkSPORT. “[Sergio] Aguero, [Thierry] Henry, Alan Shearer, Robbie Fowler, these sorts of men did it year-in, year-out.
“You can not argue with his [Aubameyang’s] record, and if he had not scored the goals he has scored this season Arsenal may be very much more in a relegation struggle than trying to get at the top five.
“He has been such a significant player for Arsenal going forward with the goals he scores; he is very clinical once he is in position.
“He seemed very similar to Henry at the weekend. Once he is through one-on-one, that is all he needs.
“Henry used to perform just off the left-hand as well, and how he [Aubameyang] simply opened out his body and bent the ball into the far corner was quite similar to Henry.
“But whether you may call him a Premier League good nevertheless, I am unsure about that.”
Aubameyang will be back in contention for a place in Mikel Arteta’s line-up when the Gunners welcome Olympiacos into the Emirates at a Europa League clash on Thursday.
Arsenal will be protecting a 1-0 lead from the first leg of the round-of-32 tie, until their attention changes to an FA Cup fifth-round meeting with Portsmouth on March 2.
