Arsenal: Everyone wants Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang except one

Arsenal have had the entire world ready for them to take Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but there is just one man standing in the way.

Arsenal fans had to sit and watch as their target man, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, played a full 90 minutes in front of a not-so-happy Borussia Dortmund crowd. Banners were displayed and it’s clear that there is no one ready to stand in the way of this transfer.

Fans on both sides just want it resolved. The player clearly wants it to happen, as personal terms were agreed long ago, and Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc was perfectly clear before the match that it would be easy enough to secure a move. His words, as quoted by Sky Sports:

"“We are prepared to implement a transfer under certain parameters, and only if these parameters are fully met. Arsenal have made several attempts so far [to sign Aubameyang] and they have all been rejected. Either our demands are fulfilled, then there can be another transfer, or they will not be fulfilled and Aubameyang will play in Dortmund until the summer. By the way, this has also been discussed with and accepted by the Aubameyang family"

It could literally not be any simpler. Everyone wants this deal to go through on both sides. It makes sense for both sides. There are no obstacles left standing in the way – except one. And the problem with this one obstacle is that we can’t know for sure exactly what form it takes.

It could be Arsene Wenger, directing his negotiating crew not to pay the full asking price until absolutely necessary. It could be a budgetary restriction imposed by Stan Kroenke. It could be Ivan Gazidis, trying to whittle away at the asking price.

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All we know it Dortmund want £60m and the Gunners are trying to get that price down a few million pounds.

In every possible way, this is incredibly dense. This is the same club that turned down a £10m bid from West Brom for Kieran Gibbs and then sold him for £7m later on in the same window to West Brom. This is the only club in the top six that boasts a transfer budget surplus rather than a deficit, with that surplus just hanging around in the ether, not being used on anything.

Seeing Aubameyang play for Dortmund, and the ire that he received, was a two-fold punch to the senses. He should not have been out there, because a deal should have already been agreed, but seeing how the fans reacted to him – while completely reasonable – is just further proof that he needs to leave.

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