Can Arsenal keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in London long-term? That was the question on every Arsenal supporters' mind in the lead-up to the FA Cup Final.

After Saturday's fantastic brace, that included a delightful chipped second that sealed the cup for the Gunners, it still remains to be seen whether the Gabon international will commit to Arsenal long-term.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are all reportedly monitoring Aubameyang's situation, however, Charlie Nicholas is optimistic that the striker will remain at Arsenal next season and beyond.

Nicholas believes that Aubameyang is easily one of the best strikers in Europe who has consistently scored goals for many years.

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (left) and manager Mikel Arteta celebrate their victory with the FA Cup trophy after the Heads Up FA Cup final match at Wembley Stadium, London.

"He's right up there, there's absolutely no doubt he's right up there and that's why I can see Real Madrid and Juventus looking at buying him," Nicholas said.

"I'm thinking that for one of the best strikers, certainly one of the best finishers in world football, I am very optimistic of him being in the red and white of Arsenal."

Arsenal tracked Aubameyang for many years under Arsene Wenger, dating back to the strikers' time at Saint Etienne. There was a long-held perception at the club that Aubameyang's attitude was suspect.

A former Arsenal staff member discussed this with James McNicholas, David Ornstein and Amy Lawrence of The Athletic.

"Arsene talked about this many times," the former staff member said. "He said that if he'd listened to certain other people, he would never have signed Auba."

Nicholas feels that early in Arteta's reign the suspicions about Aubameyang's commitment had transferred to the current manager.

In recent weeks the forward's improved work-rate has been apparent and coupled with his constant hunger for goals, Nicholas believes that Arsenal should make it their priority to keep Aubameyang at any cost.

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

"The last five or six games he's working hard going back the way. He's an absolute goal machine," the former Arsenal and Celtic frontman said.

"You see the smile and the appreciation of what he does which is brilliantly scoring goals but also the link up with Pepe and Lacazette, with the midfield players that tells me that there is something in there that he's loving."

While Nicholas conceded that if Aubameyang wishes to go the club will not be able to stop him moving on, he is confident that that is not the case.

"If that means we have to pay him Ozil's wages we pay him it, the reason being he guarantees goals. If you guarantee goals at Arsenal you guarantee that Arsenal are going to get closer to winning the title and getting back to the Champions League."

The Ozil debacle, that cost Arsenal dearly, had made some people doubt the wisdom behind offering a large contract to someone of Aubameyang's age.

However, as McNicholas, Ornstein and Lawrence pointed out, the striker's physical attributes are not diminishing in the slightest, and he is performing as well as any of Europe's top strikers at this age. He has also shown his commitment to the club has never wavered in terms of his performances.

If Arsenal are to keep him plenty of credit will have to go Arteta's way. The Spaniard has come in at one of the lowest points in the club's history and had an instant impact, according to Nicholas.

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle.

"Being a Gunners fan for seven or eight years, it's been painful in a strange way because you could see we were falling, we were sliding from the standards that Arsene Wenger had set."

That made clinching silverware last weekend all the more special, although the performance was even more satisfying.

"I was delighted not just by the win but by the performance," Nicholas continued.

There is a feeling that the Arsenal teams of the recent past would have faltered after a bright Chelsea start that saw them take the lead through Christian Pulisic.

Arteta has instilled a determination and steely nerve into a club who had long been perceived as weak in midfield and at the back.

Nicholas believes these areas still need to be strengthened in order for the club to move back towards the Champions League

"Arsenal's master plan has to be two centre-backs," the Sky Sports pundit said. Players will need to leave the club before that can happen.

"The sales [that will be made] that [will] bring us forward to [where] we can get three defenders in and I think that's where Arsenal will go, that's where their problems have always been and it's stuck everybody in the eye and surely Arteta has seen it. I believe he has."

Whether the Gunners can manoeuvre their way back into title contention remains to be seen but their prospects will look a lot brighter should they convince their talismanic striker to remain in North London.

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