Arsenal believed they have reached a deal with Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

They have been trying to thrash out terms with Borussia Dortmund who have been demanding £60m for Aubameyang who is desperate to join the Gunners.

Aubameyang, 28, will sign a £180,000-a-week contract to join Arsenal with the deal now nearing completion before Wednesday's deadline.

Arsenal’s new head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat, was also the man who scouted Aubameyang and took him to the Westfalenstadion, during his time as BVB’s chief scout.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is an Arsenal target (
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)

But the question that has to be asked, particularly with that sort of strike rate - including 11 in 15 in the Champions League during the last two seasons - is: why are Arsenal the only member of Europe’s elite moving for the 28-year-old?

Plenty have looked in recent times and Aubameyang has issued come-and-get-me pleas to the likes of Real Madrid. "If I want to go to the next level, I need to leave,” he declared 12 months ago, fully eyeing a summer step up.

But even when the likes of Manchester United, PSG, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea and Los Blancos have been making moves for goalscorers, none have jumped on Aubameyang; Barcelona moved for his sidekick, Ousmane Dembele last summer. Even the big-money Chinese outfits, notably Guangzhou Evergrande, have turned their nose up.

The Gabonese hitman has been earmarked as Alexis Sanchez's replacement (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

Even Arsenal, knowing that a deal for Aubameyang - albeit in excess of £60million - could be done last summer, elected to go for Alexandre Lacazette.

As such Aubameyang remained - much to Dortmund's delight - and wasted little time in making his mark once more with 10 goals in the opening eight games.

The good form continued before he was suspended for a match against Stuttgart. Aubameyang said he was “baffled” by the sanction, taken after he had both turned up late to training and taken part in a TV shoot on club grounds, without the club's consent.

In a battle with then-boss Peter Bosz, he was even backed by the club’s hierarchy, the Dutchman eventually being sacked after a horrendous run. Someone from the club stirred the pot in late November, leaking to Bild that Dortmund were ready to sell should anyone be prepared to hand over £54million.

Aubameyang career hasn't always been without incident (
Image:
AFP)

Aubameyang continued to score regularly and seemed happy enough during the club’s mid-season break in Marbella. He had taken English youngster Jadon Sancho under his wing, and an on-field relationship showed signs of promise.

Even as players questioned the ’noise’ that surrounded Auba - notably club captain Marcel Schmelzer - Hans-Joachim Watzke, the club’s CEO and Aubameyang’s biggest fan in the boardroom, defended his star. What Aubameyang has done for the club in the past - despite his proclivity to look elsewhere - ensured he retained the faith of the club’s big boss.

"In all this scrutiny, which is an extravagence as far as I am concerned, we mustn't forget one thing: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a total professional. I don't like the way he is being presented by the German tabloid media, which is getting ever broader and who, incidentally, will miss him when he doesn't play here anymore.”

Promptly, Aubameyang made him look foolish.

Aubameyang took English youngster Jadon Sancho under his wing (
Image:
Soccer AM/Youtube/IFA via Getty Images)

The 28-year-old was left out of the Dortmund squad for ‘disciplinary reasons’ against Wolfsburg on Sunday, with coach Peter Stoger confirming he had been dropped after failing to attend a team meeting, questioning his focus. It is the third time in little more than 12 months that Aubameyang has been disciplined by the club in such a manner.

"It was a relatively important session that he stayed away from, which showed me that he is not so focused," announced Stoger. "He was surprised, did not quite notice it for himself. But for us it was a clear case. The session was clearly announced in WhatsApp groups that are today on tablets. If he is not there, someone else is playing, who is totally focused.”

Aubameyang arrived at the side's training ground for talks with the club’s hierarchy on Sunday, and rather than defend the player afterwards, Watzke’s silence was deafening.

Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc has previously criticised the forward (
Image:
Getty)

Instead, Michael Zorc, the club’s general manager, was left to make their despair public.

“At some point you can’t tolerate it any more,” said Zorc. “I don’t know what’s going on inside his head. We had a very contentious discussion today. We’re not used to this behaviour from him.

"What is going on now is not to be tolerated by the club. It is clear: It cannot go on like this. I don’t know what is going through his mind. I don’t recognise him anymore.

"There is trouble in the team and that is not good.”

Michael Ballack has previously spoken out about Aubameyang (
Image:
REUTERS)

After the goalless draw with Wolfsburg, goalkeeper Roman Burki also piled in, calling Aubameyang’s actions “stupid” before the player returned to training on Monday - typically arriving in an understated glittery blue Aston Martin.

"If you play like a superstar you're allowed to behave like one,” said Michael Ballack last season, after Aubameyang had returned from a club suspension after his partying had irked Thomas Tuchel.

But now Dortmund look to have decided with Aubameyang that the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.

The Gabonese has scored 21 times in 23 games this season (
Image:
REUTERS)

If Arsene Wenger rolls the dice, it would be a somewhat ironic act of desperation: The Frenchman has been widely questioned over his apparent inability to deal with 'high maintenance' Alexis Sanchez.

Now, seemingly swayed by Mislintat, he could be about to go boldly where others have dared not tread. He can’t say he hasn’t been warned.

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