Aubameyang Omitted From Dortmund's Matchday Squad, Fueling Arsenal Transfer Talk
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's potential move from Borussia Dortmund has been labeled 'probably imminent' by German publication Bild, as speculation continues to build over a potential move to Arsenal.
The striker was suspended from the team's last match after missing a meeting, and it was said that he would return to the squad for their next fixture. However, Bild now report that he did not travel with the rest of the squad to face Hertha Berlin, with a match set for Friday evening.
As a result, the German outlet reckon that an exit is very likely to happen, with the Gunners believed to be the destination. Boss Arsene Wenger did not shy away from answering questions posed in relation to the potential €60m signing in a recent press conference.
Asked if the Gabonese speedster would be a good fit for his side, Wenger responded by saying: "Yes, because character can be very positive and very negative.
"Overall you look at the achievement of a player over their career and usually his character has been used in a positive way."
The Frenchman is also hoping to sign Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Manchester United, with Alexis Sanchez poised to go the other way.
The former Udinese and Barcelona attacker was thought to be Manchester City-bound, before the Etihad side walked away from the table, leaving United clear to swoop in.
Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc, meanwhile, denied having made contact with Arsenal over Aubameyang, and has branded Wenger 'disrespectful' for the comments noted above.
"We regard it as disrespectful that Arsene Wenger expresses himself about players of other clubs," he said. "There is no contact on our part with Arsenal. Arsene Wenger certainly has enough currently to deal with the performance of his own players."
Zorc has also dismissed the claims made by Bild, insisting the striker has been training and is not very distracted by the rife reports.
"Aubameyang trained in Dortmund," he explained. "Currently, we have the impression that he is employed and therefore not fully focused in mind with other things. Consequently, we wonder if he can help us in Berlin."
There seems to be quite a bot going on with the Aubameyang saga at the moment, but some closure could be had in the coming days.
