African players in Europe: Arsenal hopeful Aubameyang will stay

“If he can see success and the direction we are taking is the right one, I think he will be more positive about it (staying),” said the Spaniard.

There has been speculation that the Gabon attacker wanted away from the Gunners so that he can play Champions League football, a target the London club failed to meet this season.

Aubameyang missed a good chance before scoring in each half to set up an August 1 final showdown with Chelsea.

ENGLAND

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Arsenal)

The Gabon striker underlined his value to the Gunners with a brace in their shock 2-0 win over holders Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals. Aubameyang produced a superb sliding half-volley to open the scoring at Wembley and killed off City with a cool finish from Kieran Tierney’s pass.

ERIC BAILLY (Manchester United)

The Ivory Coast defender was forced off in the first half of a 3-1 FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea after suffering a nasty injury in a clash of heads with team-mate Harry Maguire. Bailly had already been pole-axed by a head injury earlier in the match at Wembley when he collided with Kurt Zouma. The 26-year-old went down again following the accidental clash with Maguire and looked groggy as he tried to walk to the edge of the pitch. Bailly eventually needed lengthy treatment before being stretchered off with his neck in a brace. It was a blow to the centre-back, who had been restored to the United team as boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer started with a three-man defence.

SPAIN

ANSU FATI (Barcelona)

The teenager from Guinea-Bissau opened the scoring midway through the first half as Barcelona completed their La Liga campaign with a 5-0 victory at lowly Alaves. Poor recent form saw Barca finish second, five points behind arch rivals Real Madrid.

ANDRE-FRANK ZAMBO ANGUISSA (Villarreal)

Cameroon midfielder Zambo Anguissa triggered a late scoring spree by fifth-place Villarreal with a goal on 71 minutes in a 4-0 romp over visiting Eibar. Villarreal will compete in the second-tier UEFA Europa League next season.

ROGER ASSALE (Leganes)

The Ivory Coast attacker equalised 12 minutes from time as Leganes twice came from behind at home to draw 2-2 with champions Real Madrid. However, the point was not enough to save the club based on the outskirts of the Spanish capital from relegation.

ITALY

GERVINHO (Parma)

Ivorian Gervinho scored the opener for hosts Parma, who threw away a two-goal lead to fall 3-2 to Sampdoria. The 33-year-old former Arsenal and Roma forward fired in from an angle for his seventh goal this season and missed the chance for a second before the break as Parma fell to their sixth defeat in seven games, slumping to 13th with four matches left.

ISMAEL BENNACER (AC Milan)

Algerian Bennacer scored his first goal for Milan in a 5-1 rout of Bologna. Bennacer blasted in his team’s third goal four minutes after the break as AC Milan continued fine post-lockdown form, extending their unbeaten run to eight games, including six wins, to strengthen their grip on a possible Europa League place.

BRYAN DABO (SPAL)

Burkina Faso midfielder Dabo scored his first goal for SPAL, but it was not enough to stop the team from north-east Italy returning to Serie B next season. France-born Dabo, on loan from Fiorentina, fired in from close range three minutes before the break but fellow strugglers Brescia hit back with second-half goals for a 2-1 win.