Should Borussia Dortmund Consider Selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal?

In Jurgen Klopp's absence, elite European clubs have predictably circled Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion like sharks smelling blood. The likes of Marco Reus, Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan are incessantly linked with moves to England and/or Spain, and this summer has proved to be no different.

Another name quickly catching momentum is forward/winger Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The rampant attacker has been married with a move to Arsenal, with ESPN FC's Jens Weber reporting Dortmund have no intention to sell the Gabon international.

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Freshly 26, Aubameyang was—via ESPN FC's report—the subject of an impressive €40/28.5 million bid by Arsene Wenger, but either steadfast in their desire to maintain assets or unmoved by the number, BVB rejected the sale.

Dortmund bought the attacker from AS Saint-Etienne two summer's ago for €13/£11.2 million. Accepting the Gunners' alleged offer would more than double their original investment and give new manager Thomas Tuchel more capital to manoeuvre this transfer window; questions, however, must be asked.

Were Aubameyang intent on moving to north London (of which there is no documented indication), is he more expensive? Could the Bundesliga outfit find a better player to fill his role? Then finally, is selling worth the risk?

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Answering the first question: Yes, the 26-year-old is worth more than €40/28.5 million. The outlay is an honest appraisal, but he is worth more to Dortmund's structure. Aubameyang's pace is lethal on counter-attacks and, in more controlled possession, his ability to run behind stretches defenses, offering passing options—both long and short—to his team-mates.

Scoring 41 goals in 94 appearances, sharing time between the right wing and centre-forward, the Gabonese found an understanding with Klopp's system last season, and if Tuchel intends to continue a similar tradition, €40/28.5 million is not enough for an expertly crafted player.

Arsenal, though, could be persuasive.

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Cash being hardly a barrier, since 2013/14 they have spent upwards of £135 million. A third-place Premier League finish, a Champions League round of 16 berth and an FA Cup title suggests another sizable transfer kitty this summer.

Wenger might deem his project with Theo Walcott—who is out of contract next season—failing to take hold, and suspect Aubameyang a perfect candidate for the "Thierry Henry treatment" (i.e., transforming a wide man into a world-class centre-forward). 

Walcott showed signs of life in the latter stages of 2014/15—and should be given a genuine opportunity to prove whether he has fully recovered from his debilitating injury—but many would agree Aubameyang is a better prospect at centre-forward.

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Should the French boss increase his offer from €40/£28.5 million to around €50/£35.5 million, one might suspect those at the Westfalenstadion would re-evaluate their stance—as trebling their original investment in 24 months looks fantastic business.

Leading to our second question: Were Aubameyang sold, could BVB find another player to fill his boots? The answer: Not easily. His combination of pace, dribbling, finishing and the apparent friendship with Reus cannot necessarily be quantified by money.

Arsenal—or any club interested in the 26-year-old—would have to seriously stun Dortmund with an offer, making them less interested in potential ramifications, and focus on the money.

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Hence, our third question: Is selling the Gabonese worth the risk of failing to find an equal replacement?

At €40/28.5 million—not a chance. Missing Champions League football next season, BVB will be desperate to finish in Germany's top four and right their 2014/15 wrong. Selling players in this climate for commensurate fees likely spells further hardship.

There is a figure with which Aubameyang's on-pitch value fades into Borussia Dortmund's periphery (as with all footballers), but Arsenal have yet to near that number.

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*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.