- Arsenal heavily linked with move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this month
- Gunners to reportedly welcome Dortmund chief Zorc to London on Saturday
- However, Zorc quotes on Friday night seemingly rule out exit
- READ MORE: Major hint Man Utd swap deal is almost done, Arsenal switch imminent
Speculation would lead us to believe Arsenal could edge closer to signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this weekend, but Borussia Dortmund suggest otherwise.
The prolific forward played no part in the German outfit’s clash with Hertha Berlin on Friday night, leading to further talk that it’s due to the fact that he could be on his way out.
According to German media outlet WA, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc will be in London on Saturday to finalise negotiations over a €60m transfer to Arsenal for the 28-year-old.
Given he’s fired in 141 goals in 212 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, including 40 in 46 games last season while he’s got 21 in 23 so far this year, it would be a stunning signing for Arsenal to add real quality and class to their squad.
With Alexis Sanchez tipped to join Man Utd, as per BBC Sport, they’ll need a marquee replacement to not only appease their supporters but also to fill the void left by the Chilean international, while it’s added in that report that Aubameyang could get the chance to reunite with Henrikh Mkhitaryan who could be set for a move to the Emirates too.
While that’s the good news as far as Arsenal fans are concerned as it all suggests that they’re on course to wrap up a major bit of transfer business, actual words from Zorc’s mouth on Friday night would suggest that it isn’t that advanced at all.
“We’re planning on going forward with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and there’s a way back into the team, but professionalism is part of that, and that includes saying you’ve made a mistake in one situation or another,” Zorc is quoted as saying by Eurosport.
“There is nothing real on the table, there is a lot of air.”
That goes against everything that is widely being reported about developments in the move to Arsenal, and so it’s difficult to really know whether Zorc is playing up to the cameras or genuinely believes that Aubameyang is going nowhere.
Losing Sanchez will be a blow for Arsenal given the impact he has had since he joined the club, but reuniting a prolific forward like Aubameyang with the goalscoring record mentioned above with a player who had 23 goals and 32 assists in his last season playing alongside him in Mkhitaryan, it could work out very well indeed for Arsene Wenger.