Manchester City: Transfer News and Rumour Roundup 4

The Expensive One

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Borussia Dortmund, 26, striker

If you’ve been following along with these updates, and of course you have, then you’ll know the not-so-secret secret that Manchester City want Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It’s been a hot topic for a few weeks with multiple sources confirming City’s interest and willingness to part with upwards of 50 million for the Gabon international striker.

In actuality, it’s not really a surprise at all that City would be interested in the Bundesliga’s top goal scorer last season, who has pace, a world class eye for goal and an already established battery with now-City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. What’s really shocking is that we ever believed Dortmund would part ways with him.

We just picked up Gundogan, a steal at 20 million, from them and they are reeling from losing their captain and stalwart Mats Hummels to arch-rivals Bayern Munich. Pawning off your star striker in the same close-season would cause a mutiny and the title may as well be awarded to Bayern for next year in advance. BvB, even with the money an Aubameyang sale would generate, would be unlikely to find a center-forward half as capable as the man they’ve lost, and they are rapidly losing ground.

So it’s even less a surprise to learn this week that, yes, Dortmund are effectively pricing Manchester City out of it. Oh sure, we’ll give you Aubameyang…for 65 million pounds! Yep, that blows past the transfer record for the Premier League and not even the flush City can stomach such a cost. Aubameyang is good, but 65 million? That’s the sort of figure you’d expect for Messi, Suarez or a bunch of hotels on Park Lane in Monopoly.

Understandably, it seems, City have told BvB to get lost. I’d imagine Pep would sooner look elsewhere that miss out on the raft of improvements across the board that could be made with the 20-30 million over slot value being attached to Aubameyang’s head.

All hope is not lost however, according to reports City remain interested in the player. Almost certainly no other club will be in on him at that price and almost certainly Dortmund will keep up the charade to convince fans they are doing everything to keep him. But every man has his price. They could have Aubameyang and a depleted side looking to best the Bayern juggernaut or a compromise of potentially 55 million, or more, that could revitalize the side as a whole.

This one is likely to be lengthy, but as long as City remain interested there’s still a chance he can be a blue. Just not for 65 million…

Next: The Decision to be Made