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According to The Guardian, Arsenal are closing in on a move for Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Representatives from Arsenal have held discussions with their Dortmund counterparts over a possible transfer, which have been described as productive, as they prepare for life after the departing Alexis Sanchez.
Negotiations over a fee are still ongoing, but Arsenal may have to pay around £53 million for a player who has been prolific for the German club, scoring 141 goals in 212 appearances.
However, he has had a series of off-the-field disciplinary issues, and appears to have burnt his bridges with Borussia’s hierarchy, after missing a team meeting. That led him to be left out of the Dortmund squad for their scoreless draw with Wolfsburg, with general manager Michael Zorc saying “what is going on now is not to be tolerated”.
Aubameyang has been linked with moves to Arsenal in the past but was widely believed not to favour a move to North London. However, his stance has been changed by the fact that their new head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat, used to be Dortmund’s head scout, and is widely credited as being responsible for bringing the Gabonese international to the Bundesliga side in 2013.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.