According to reports in The Mirror, Chelsea are confident that they will win the race to sign £65m-rated Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite The Sun saying Liverpool are also keen.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Blues boss Antonio Conte is desperate to bring in a new centre-forward this summer after telling Diego Costa at the end of last season that he isn’t part of his plans for next term, and he has already lost out to Manchester United in the race for Romelu Lukaku.
However, The Mirror now says that the Premier League holders are in pole position to sign Aubameyang, with Borussia Dortmund in discussions with Arsenal for Olivier Giroud.
Bringing in the Gabon international would certainly be a boost for Conte following a frustrating transfer window in which they have only signed Willy Caballero and Antonio Rudiger, although Tiemoue Bakayoko is on the verge of completing his £39.7m move from Monaco.
How did Aubameyang do last season?
He enjoyed the best season of his career to date.
The 28-year-old scored 40 goals in 46 appearances for Dortmund as they won the German Cup, and the prolific campaign continued his fine record for the Bundesliga outfit since he made the move from Saint-Etienne in 2013 – the striker has netted 120 in 189 outings in total.
Would he be a good signing for Chelsea?
He certainly would be, even if he is perhaps older than Lukaku.
The 28-year-old has an abundance of pace and has shown what a prolific finisher he can be both in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League, and he is almost guaranteed to get goals for the Blues if he completes a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Will Liverpool up the ante now?
It’s difficult to say.
The Reds have already been linked with big-money moves for Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita and if they are going to continue concentrating on those deals, they may not have the cash to get Aubameyang too.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, there is no doubt that Chelsea are in desperate need of a new centre-forward and there are few better options on the current market than Aubameyang, and the Blues must get the deal over the line.
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