Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Bid Rumours

Arsenal have reportedly been told they will have to pay in excess of £50 million if they want to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.

According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, "sources close to the German club" have said the Gunners will have to splash the cash to secure the Gabon international. Therefore, any deal would outstrip the £46.5 million club-record purchase of Alexandre Lacazette last summer.

John Cross of the Daily Mirror reported on Sunday that Arsenal will soon make a fresh approach for the striker, having already seen a £45 million offer turned down for Aubameyang.

"Dortmund have asked about Olivier Giroud being part of the deal, and Arsenal know he wants more regular football before the World Cup and is one of the highest earners at the Emirates," Cross said. "But a straight cash deal is still being discussed with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger privately convinced that the Aubameyang deal is very close."

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As Cross noted, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also said to be nearing a move to the Emirates Stadium, with Alexis Sanchez leaving Arsenal for Manchester United.

If Arsenal were able to sign Aubameyang, supporters would understandably be excited. The Dortmund man has been one of football's most reliable goalscorers in recent years.

As we can see below, courtesy of WhoScored.com, Aubameyang is a poacher extraordinaire:

During his four-and-a-half years at Dortmund, the forward has had some off-field issues and has twice been suspended for his behaviour this season. But he's continued to do the business on the pitch.

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When he is in the starting XI, he transforms the Dortmund attack. Aubameyang's movement is intelligent, and his blistering pace is an excellent complement. Additionally, he can score various types of goals whether using his right foot, left foot or his head.

There's no doubt he would add another dimension to Arsenal's attack, and that will be crucial in light of Sanchez's imminent departure. Even so, there are some questions as to where he would fit in, as posed here by football writer Andrew Gibney:

A two-striker formation is not something the Gunners have used frequently, and the impact of either Lacazette or Aubamayeng would be diminished if he were played out wide.

Fox Sports' Keith Costigan suggested the Dortmund man would be better suited to playing alongside another Arsenal forward:

Aubameyang and Lacazette, potentially with Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil in support, could be a lethal attacking combination. Both forwards are quick, technically sound and exceptional finishers. However, it would take a deviation from Arsene Wenger's usual setup to see the pair as a front two.

Nevertheless, for a long time, Arsenal were criticised for not having a reliable goalscorer on their books. Not only did they land one in the summer in Lacazette, but they appear intent on replacing another in Sanchez immediately with Aubameyang.

And while there are questions about how he would get on at Arsenal, it would be fascinating to see a player of such pedigree at the Emirates.