Manchester City Transfer News: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Fee Amid Latest Rumours

Manchester City will reportedly have to pay £71 million if they want to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after Borussia Dortmund slapped a huge price tag on the Gabon international.

According to Bild (via TalkSport), BVB are trying to ward off interest from the Sky Blues as well as Real Madrid by making striker Aubameyang, 27, prohibitively expensive, and they will not budge from their valuation. 

City have the finances to cough up £71 million to sign the forward, but they will have to think seriously about their needs before shelling out such a huge fee.

OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

Manager Pep Guardiola already has the phenomenal Sergio Aguero and youngster Kelechi Iheanacho to call upon in the No. 9 role and arguably does not need to strengthen his strike unit—particularly given the Spaniard has a history of playing with a false nine.

However, somewhat bafflingly given the Argentinian has netted five times in seven Premier League games so far this season, recent reports have suggested Guardiola may soon offload Aguero, in which case Aubameyang would be an ideal replacement, per Neil Fissler in the Express.

The 2015-16 campaign was a remarkable season for Aubameyang—he netted 25 Bundesliga goals—and his scoring rate has not diminished in the new term, per the UEFA Champions League:

Aubameyang is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in Europe. Spanish giants Real have been heavily linked with him for some time, and Aubameyang has previously admitted his desire to play for the Madrid outfit, per L'Equipe (via Goal's Alberto Pinero and Ben Hayward)

Undoubtedly one of the factors that has forced the former Saint-Etienne man's value up is his recent nomination for the 2016 Ballon d'Or, per France Football:

His recognition as one of the best players in the world means Dortmund can now demand that top clubs pay a premium if they want to sign him.

City are one of very few clubs in the world who could afford to meet Dortmund's valuation of Aubameyang, and it would be a huge statement to other clubs, not least their Premier League rivals, if they decided to shell out to sign him.

However, there are arguably areas where the money could be better spent, especially following their recent slump in form—as discussed below by a Bleacher Report panel:

Aguero, 28, is a world-class player and has proved time and again that he is a huge asset to City.

Selling him and bringing in Aubameyang would be an unnecessary upheaval and would be a hugely costly move given Dortmund's latest valuation of their star striker.