Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reportedly agreed personal terms with Arsenal ahead of a potential move from Borussia Dortmund this month.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is edging closer to his move to Arsenal, having agreed the terms of the contract with the Premier League club. The Gunners now need to reach a consensus with Borussia Dortmund over a transfer fee for the Gabonese striker.
Aubameyang has established himself as one of Europe’s most prolific marksmen, having been incredibly consistent over the last few seasons. The player has been in rampaging form this season as well, with 21 goals and 3 assists in 23 appearances across all competitions.
He might not win the Bundesliga Golden Boot for a second successive season though, with his future the subject of intense speculation. Aubameyang has been mired in controversy at an alarming regularity this season, with Dortmund suspending him three times in the last twelve months due to disciplinary issues.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang:
2011/12 – 38 games, 18 goals
2012/13 – 45 games, 21 goals
2013/14 – 48 games, 16 goals
2014/15 – 46 games 25 goals
2015/16 – 49 games, 39 goals
2016/17 – 46 games, 40 goals
2017/ 2018 so far – 23 games, 21 goals.180 club goals in 6.5 years. pic.twitter.com/wEXJUfGT5h
— Messi Minutes (@MessiMinutes) January 15, 2018
The latest altercation seems to have burned all the bridges between the club and the player, who has handed a transfer request. There is no dearth of interest in him either, with Arsenal interested in signing the Gabon international before the transfer window slams shut this month.
The Gunners are set to lose Alexis Sanchez in the current window, although his final destination appears to be uncertain for now. The Chilean’s imminent departure leaves a precarious situation for Arsenal, who would be woefully short of goals, with Alexandre Lacazette struggling for consistency as well.
Aubameyang’s addition will, thus, not only solve the problem of consistent scoring to an extent, but also add another dimension to Arsenal’s game through his pacy outlet. His ability to play behind the striker or in the wide areas also means that a three-pronged attack featuring Aubameyang, Lacazette and Mesut Ozil could be created by Arsene Wenger.
His bad boy image does not seem to be an issue for Arsenal either, with new head of recruitment Sven Mislintant providing glowing reports to Wenger about the player. And, the Gunners have taken a big step towards securing Aubameyang’s services, having agreed personal terms with him.
Dortmund are prepared to sell the 28-year-old as well, and the only thing that now remains is agreement over the transfer fee. There were suggestions that Olivier Giroud may be involved in a player-plus-cash deal, although it remains to be seen what sort of a deal is agreed in the end, as Aubameyang nears his switch to Arsenal.
