Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remarkably off the table

Arsenal seemed into the idea of signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but somewhere along the line, he ended his candidacy way too prematurely.

Arsenal need a striker. Hopefully by now, everyone understands that. And as I have covered on numerous occasions, it’s not even that they need any certain type of striker. They need either a game-changer who they can put up at the front and leave him there, or they need someone of good quality (like… Andre Silva) who can add to the challenge that Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud provide.

With the Gunners flirting with the £100m Kylian Mbappe and the £60m (and likely rising) Alexandre Lacazette, it seems like money is not an issue and they are exploring all possible options.

That being the case, why has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang been eliminated from the conversation? The Gabonese striker is one of the best in the world at what he does and he spoke openly this summer about how he was ready to move on and take that next step.

Arsenal may not be in the Champions League this year, but they would still be a next step. Their profile is higher than that of Dortmund’s and all they have really needed these past few years is a solid striker like Aubameyang is.

It’s pretty well understood that he is leaving Dortmund this summer and the price has ranged anywhere from £60m to £100m, which is conveniently the same range that Arsenal appear willing to spend on a striker.

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And doesn’t he fit perfectly with the other two strikers were are currently bidding on? Aubameyang is a speed merchant, a clinical finisher, physically strong and a proven performer. There is nothing this man can’t do. In fact, I’d take him over Alexandre Lacazette any day of the week, no questions asked. Aubameyang has done far more in far tougher competitions than Lacazette has and he has proven more than Mbappe has.

The only drawback would be that Giroud and Welbeck would be up against it to find playing time, but for the good of the club, that shouldn’t even count as a drawback. Giroud will always find his way into matches and Welbeck is versatile enough to play other positions.

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So why then? Is Wenger letting his French bias back into the conversation? They tell us that since PSG couldn’t lock up the Dortmund man, that the Gunners are back in the chase, but where have we been up until now? It’s just a bit odd.

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