Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to be one of the signings of the summer for any club able to convince Borussia Dortmund to sell him.
The striker has expressed a wish to better himself by moving to another league, and it’s his unsuppressed desire to play for Real Madrid that will worry BVB chiefs most.
However, there is still a chance he could be heading to the Premier League.
The Sun report that both Liverpool and Manchester City want him, and Jurgen Klopp will fight Pep Guardiola all the way.
Liverpool’s need is greater than City’s, as they just don’t have a top striker. Daniel Sturridge is struggling again, while Divock Origi is too young to carry the weight of a title chase on his shoulders alone.
That may explain why the Reds have dropped to fifth having not won in the league since New Year’s Eve – incidentally, when they beat City 1-0.
Guardiola is equally keen on Aubameyang, but it all depends on whether he sells Sergio Aguero this summer, as he doesn’t need both of them, particularly with the arrival of Gabriel Jesus and the presence of Kelechi Iheanacho as a back-up.
The same source suggests, though, that Liverpool may have a plan to ensure the deal goes ahead.
Klopp is set to use £40million, plus his own relationship with the player – who he signed for Dortmund from St Etienne – as a clincher, while selling Daniel Sturridge in order to finance the switch.
West Ham are favourites to land Sturridge, as they’re in an even worse situation than Liverpool when it comes to strikers.
It remains to be seen whether City will use their financial muscle to trump their Premier League rivals, but it’ll certainly be interesting to see where P-E-A ends up.
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