- Arsenal reportedly ‘close to an agreement’ for signing of Aubameyang
- Ornstein suggests Gunners will pay around £60m for prolific Dortmund striker
- Delayed as Bundesliga giants search for capable replacement
- READ MORE: ‘Keep him away from my club’ – Arsenal send scout to watch possible third January signing, fans not impressed
Arsenal fans have been given a major boost as it’s been claimed that the Gunners are moving ever closer to reaching an agreement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, bagging 141 goals in 213 games for Borussia Dortmund since joining them in 2013.
Further, Aubameyang netted 40 in 46 last season, his most prolific campaign to date, and so Arsenal are evidently targeting a player at the height of his powers.
According to BBC Sport journalist David Ornstein, he could soon be an Arsenal player as they’re said to be moving closer to signing him in a deal worth around £60m.
However, one major obstacle at this stage is the fact that Ornstein adds Dortmund want to have a replacement ready to come in before they let Aubameyang seal his move to England, which is understandable given his goals have been crucial to the team for so long and they have to fill that void as well as they can.
With just three days remaining in the transfer window though, that will surely be a source of concern for the Gunners who will want this deal done as soon as possible so that they can welcome the Gabon international to the Emirates this month.
Assuming that the ever-reliable Ornstein’s figures are correct, that £60m fee would be a new club record for Arsenal, with The Guardian noting how Alexandre Lacazette set the previous £52.7m mark with his move to north London last summer.
Despite losing Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United last week, it could be argued that this window could turn out to be a memorable one for the right reasons for the Arsenal faithful.
As noted by BBC Sport, Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined the Gunners as part of that swap deal, while his former Dortmund teammate could be joining him at the Emirates in the coming days.
Combine them with Lacazette and Mesut Ozil to make a quartet packed with creativity, technical class, flair and finishing, it has the makings of a very balanced and talented Arsenal attacking line-up if they are able to get this deal over the line by Wednesday.