Arsenal to launch bid to reunite Aubameyang with £96m star

Arsenal will reportedly attempt to sign injury-plagued Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele at the end of the season.

The Frenchman moved to the Nou Camp for an initial fee of £96million last summer but has been hit by injury issues since his arrival.

According to a report in Don Balon, new Arsenal signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wants the club to bring Dembele to London, as he is desperate to team up with his former Borussia Dortmund colleague again.

The report goes on to state that Arsene Wenger has given the nod to a potential move, with the Gunners boss said to be looking to make Dembele the new Thierry Henry.

Barca are reportedly willing to allow the player to leave, following the arrival of Philippe Coutinho last month, while they are also confident of landing Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid this summer.

The one stumbling block could be the fee, with the Gunners looking to pay a fee in the region of £53.3m – a huge drop in value of more than £40m.

 

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Speaking when Dembele swapped Dortmund for Catalonia, Aubameyang told RMC last September: “Everyone was a little bit scared by his departure.

“He had an agreement with the club that if Barcelona came, they would not prevent him from leaving.

“Afterwards, everyone said it was not the best thing that he did (to go on strike).

“I think this is true, since he had only to speak first with Dortmund to know if they were going to let him go.

“If they had said no, I could have understood what he did. I think he did it a little too early.

“But hey, it’s my buddy, so I will not smash him! [laughs] I understand it totally because it’s his dream (to move to Barcelona).

“He has realised it now and I’m very happy for him.”

Aubameyang, it would appear, will be even happier if he is able to team up with his old colleague in Arsenal colours in the not so distant future.