Why Selling Aubameyang at Any Price Would Stifle Borussia Dortmund in 2016/17

Gabon coach Jorge Costa sent a mild shock wave around global media on Saturday when he told RFI (h/t Metro): "[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang has asked not to be selected for the national team because he is changing clubs."

It comes as no surprise the Borussia Dortmund forward is a coveted player; he scored 39 goals and gave 12 assists in all club competitions last season. Yet for him to actually complete a transfer and for the scoop to be delivered by neither the player nor his representative is quite a shock.

No transfer has since happened. Nor have any serious negotiations been reported. And Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke reacted almost immediately to quash rumors, telling Bild (h/t the Independent): "That's all nonsense."

Whether or not there was any truth to Costa's statement, the fact remains Aubameyang will generate interest from other clubs. And although he can try to force a transfer, BVB have a fair bit of control over his future, for he penned a five-year contract last summer, meaning he will stay at Signal Iduna Park until 2020 if he sees out his deal.

Even if Dortmund were offered an astronomical sum, they would be wise not to bite. Selling Aubameyang at any price would stifle their chances of any trophy in the coming season and perhaps beyond.

It may be true the top three most expensive signings in history were wingers—Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar—but the most difficult position to replace in the modern game is the center forward. And it's become even more challenging as two-striker systems have given way to lone-striker formations.

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Aubameyang was the fastest Dortmund player this season. 34.98 KMH (21 MPH) #bvblive [opta]

— bvbstuff (@bvbstufff) May 27, 2016"

With attacking midfielders and wingers in today's game, there are always at least two or three who can play at the same time. If one is off form, another other can take on more responsibilities. And a club will always have at least two or three viable substitutes in those positions, which require a bit more physically and are more likely to require an occasional rotation—the probability of one player being injured or suspended is higher among three players than one.

So if one signing doesn't turn out well, there will probably be another player who can fill in. If not, a change of system is always possible.

With strikers, it's different. At nearly every top club, only one true striker can play at a time. Yet at the same time, one reliable goalscorer is necessary for any such club, which almost always comes in the form of a striker.

What this means is that when a club manage to find a center forward who can reliably score, they would be wise to keep him for as long as possible. Especially if his attributes and playing style are unique.

Aubameyang is one-of-a-kind, at least in this day and age. He's one of the fastest players in any position, let alone among strikers, which makes him a constant threat to opposing defenses. His experience as a winger has taught him to use that pace to play the channels and cross. And although his finishing is not the most efficient, his goal tally speaks for itself.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Aubameyang is not a target man, he's not a poacher and he's not a player who can be summed up in any of the traditional explanations of striker "types." Dortmund were somewhat lucky to have him as he developed, and the circumstances in which he became their starting striker should be a reminder of how difficult he will be to replace.

In 2014-15, Dortmund played their first season without Robert Lewandowski since 2009-10. They signed the best player they could afford in Ciro Immobile and even purchased a back-up in Adrian Ramos to replace the Pole. Both were woeful, combining for just five Bundesliga goals. The Italian was out the door after just one year.

Noting his strikers' failures, Jurgen Klopp put Aubameyang in as full-time striker in February 2015, and the Gabon international scored 11 goals in the remaining 15 matches of the Bundesliga campaign. There was a bit of luck Klopp had accidentally found an adequate replacement for Lewandowski and that it came after half a season of misery in the striker department, during which time BVB scored just 18 goals in 19 Bundesliga matches.

Many will recall Lewandowski was successful as a replacement for Lucas Barrios in 2011-12, but that was partly a result of luck (that he was indeed a player capable of rising to the challenge), the player's dedication to his craft and the time he had to settle.

The Poland international spent a year at the Signal Iduna Park before being promoted to full-time starter, and even in his breakout 2011-12 campaign, he failed to get the job done in the Champions League: BVB finished last in their group, with Lewandowski scoring just once.

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Aubameyang has scored 39 goals in 46 games in all competitions this season #bvblive [opta]

— bvbstuff (@bvbstufff) April 30, 2016"

If Dortmund were to sell Aubameyang, they'd have a greater transfer budget than they had when they signed Immobile and Ramos. Lewandowski left on a free transfer, and Aubameyang would fetch a small fortune. Yet BVB would, in all likelihood, be forced to pay the maximum for any replacement, with selling clubs knowing strikers are both in demand and needed at Dortmund.

The same happened when Wolfsburg sold Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester City for €74 million last summer before shelling out €36 million for Julian Draxler, per Transfermarkt, after the latter had scored just two goals and provided one assist during the 2014-15 campaign.

Wolfsburg were always going to suffer a drop in quality, and despite Draxler's upturn in performance, it wasn't enough to prevent the Lower Saxony side's failure to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League next season.

Dortmund could make a huge profit from selling Aubameyang, but in sporting terms, doing so would have a catastrophic effect. It would at least alter the team's chemistry, meaning a short-term and likely long-term drop in quality in a position only one player can occupy; a position that is needed to score the goals necessary to win games and secure Champions League football.

With Aubameyang under contract until 2020, to sell him would be to unnecessarily lower Dortmund's status and cast doubt on their ambitions. No transfer fee is worth that.

@Mr_Bundesliga