Arsenal legend, Nigel Winterburn, has said the club will be sorry for enabling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave, if they do not finish in the top four places this season.

Winterburn feels supervisor Mikel Arteta has been left short of attacking options following the 32-year-old’s departure.

Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy, prior to he eventually transferred to Barcelona as a complimentary agent.

Toolbox, who sit 6th and two points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United, didn’t replace the Gabon global and Winterburn fears his absence could impede their chances of a top-four surface.

“It feels as if Aubameyang was the captain and after that something went awry. Him losing the captaincy wasn’t based on a one-off problem– there were numerous. Mikel Arteta chose that “enough suffices, you’re the captain of this club and I am attempting to lead a young team, and it’s not appropriate.”

“The problem with his departure is that its left Arsenal short. If they finish fourth, then people will accept him leaving. If they don’t, then Arteta and Aubameyang ought to have put their differences aside until the season ends,” he told Paddy Power.