da doce： According to reports in The Sun, Liverpool are leading Chelsea in the race to sign £65m-rated Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although the Reds have been put off by the asking price and the player’s £180,000-a-week wage demands.
What’s the word, then?
da poker： Well, The Sun says that the Premier League rivals have made contact with the Gabon international’s representatives over a move to England, and they are both willing to offer £65m for the 28-year-old.
However, Liverpool are in pole position after Jurgen Klopp instructed the Reds to make a move for the prolific Dortmund striker in April, although The Sun says a move has hit a snag over the Merseyside outfit’s refusal to meet the price tag or the player’s personal terms.
That news has given Chelsea renewed hope that they could yet sign the centre-forward, with Antonio Conte looking for a new attacker after losing out to Manchester United in the battle for Romelu Lukaku, having already told Diego Costa that he is no longer part of his plans.
How did Aubameyang do last season?
It is no surprise that the Premier League duo are keen considering that the 28-year-old has just enjoyed the most prolific season of his career to date.
While the Gabon international has regularly found the net ever since moving to Dortmund from Saint-Etienne in 2013, he took his goalscoring to a new level last term after scoring 40 goals in 46 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.
Would he be a good signing for Chelsea/Liverpool?
He certainly would be.
While the two sides would probably prefer to sign a younger striker for the reported £65m fee, Aubameyang looks to be well suited to the Premier League and is in the form of his life right now.
The 28-year-old has scored 120 goals in 189 appearances in total for Dortmund and both clubs are crying out for a prolific centre-forward ahead of the new season.
The Reds were playing Roberto Firmino up top last term and there is little doubt that Klopp would prefer a more natural option there, while the Blues need to find an alternative to Lukaku with little chance of a u-turn for Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, there is no doubt that Aubameyang would strengthen both Chelsea and Liverpool, but it remains to be seen whether either club will match the financial terms required to sign him.
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