Arsenal’s first approach has been rejected.
Borussia Dortmund have set an asking price of £61m (€70m) for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to German newspaper Bild.
Arsenal have made two bids for their striker as they look to replace Alexis Sanchez, having already brought in Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Manchester United.
Arsenal’s initial bid of £45m was rejected by Dortmund. Arsenal responded with a £50m bid but Dortmund are holding out for an extra £10m.
It’s possible that Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud may go the other way to Dortmund to ensure the German club have a short term fix to their striker solution, despite the contrasting styles between him and Aubameyang.
Aubameyang is currently second in the Bundesliga scoring charts with thirteen goals, four behind Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski. Arsene Wenger admitted he doesn’t know how close the club are to closing a deal on the forward: “Confident or not confident, I don’t know.”
Aubameyang would likely become Arsenal’s highest paid player should he join the Gunners, as reports suggest the club are going to offer him a contract worth £335,000 per week, which seems highly unlikely.
His goal output speaks for itself, and it’s likely he would hit the ground running at the Emirates, but his arrival would create a dilemma of how to fit him and Alexandre Lacazette into the same team, after the French striker came to Arsenal from Lyon in the summer for £52.7m.
