Rio Ferdinand defends Mikel Arteta's decision to sell in-form Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Rio Ferdinand has defended Mikel Arteta’s decision to ditch Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite the former Arsenal captain’s return to form with Barcelona.

The Gabon international’s acrimonious departure from the north London club was confirmed during a frantic deadline day in January after he had been frozen out by his former manager following a number of disciplinary breeches.

Aubameyang failed to score in any of his final six appearances for Arsenal but has hit the ground running for Barcelona where he has scored five times in his last three matches, including the opener in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

In his absence, Arsenal have prospered, moving to the brink of a Champions League qualifying position with games in hand over their nearest rivals.

The absence of a prolific striker, however, could yet undermine their attempts to return to Europe’s elite club competition, but Ferdinand believes the 32-year-old’s departure has been of benefit to the emerging Gunners.

He told Vibe with Five: ‘I just feel he looks happy again. I saw him at Arsenal for a number of months where he just didn’t look happy.

‘People undervalue and underestimate how important your happiness is when you’re a footballer or any job that you’ve got you’ve got to have that element of happiness and fulfillment and he just wasn’t having that at Arsenal.

‘Both have benefited from him leaving. Arteta has got even more of a stranglehold on the squad, more respect, they know where they stand now, there’s a line that they don’t go beyond, we don’t know the details of that.

‘But also Aubameyang has gained, he’s got some love back, he’s got some attention he’s some belief back from a manager that’s driven that into him by a manager who really