Arsenal, the reasons behind the breakdown between Borussia Dortmund and Aubameyang

Aubameyang is in favor of a move to Arsenal, and the Premier League club have reached an agreement with the striker for a contract through 2021 with an annual salary of 10 million. With Alexis Sanchez set to join Manchester United, Arsenal are targeting his replacement, and could include Olivier Giroud in the deal to help meet Dortmund’s demands, which is a transfer fee of 60 million. Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, prefers to sell him next summer, but Aubameyang desperately wants a move away from Dortmund. Why?

The breakdown between them began in summer 2016, when for the first time he requested a transfer. Gündogan, Mkhitaryan and Hummels were all moved, but Aubameyang’s request was not fulfilled. In exchange, the club promised Aubameyang that he could leave the year after if a club paid 60 million. The season 16-17 was very successful for him despite the dramatic and traumatic bomb attack on their team bus in April, he became the top scorer in Bundesliga that season. It was a very emotional moment in the Signal Iduna Park when Aubameyang celebrated the trophy with the supports in front of the famous yellow wall. This was Aubameyang’s moment and way to say goodbye to Dortmund and his supporters. In his mind he had done his job and he knew he would leave in the summer Dortmund after four successful years.

In the summer 2017, Milan offered €60m for him, which Dortmund turned down as well. After losing Dembelè to Barcelona, and Marco Reus for injury, the club realized that Aubameyang was still needed, and did not let him go. For Pierre-Emerick this was a massive betrayal, but he continued scoring for Borussia Dortmund and his supporters. During the current season, more details came up to the press about his relation with his teammates. Some players, like Marcel Schmelzer and Roman Weidenfeller started to criticize him publically and blame him for the club’s crisis. The media focused more on the striker, rather than the situation of the club.

The player really arrived at the conclusion that he has to leave in this transfer window. Last Saturday afternoon Aubameyang refused to join a meeting in which the team spoke about team spirit, a delicate topic for the striker after what happened in the past months. For him, was better to focus on the game against Wolfsburg on Sunday, but instead of letting him playing the club decided to suspend Aubameyang against his will. After all this mess, Aubameyang told the club and the coach Peter Stöger that he absolutely wants to leave this winter. In his mind, he’s already an Arsenal player, he doesn’t see himself anymore in Dortmund. As a consequence, he did not travel with the team to Berlin, where tonight there will be Hertha-Borussia. Aubameyang wants Arsenal, the Gunners wants him: it will be the right time for him to finally leave Dortmund?