Goonersworld

Who is Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?


Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been banging the goals in for St Etienne this season to arouse the interest of Newcastle, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris St-Germain. Flash in the pan or future superstar? Here’s the lowdown on the 23-year-old…

What sort of player is he?
Aubameyang is one of those very modern breed of wingers who is just as comfortable leading the line in attack as twisting and turning defenders out wide. The pacy Gabon international is a bag of tricks on the flanks but it’s his ever-refined eye for goal which has really caught the eye this term. The man dubbed the ‘African Neymar’ – not least for his striking resemblance to the Brazilian sensation – has hit 16 Ligue 1 goals this term, including a run of eight in seven games.

So why is he only at a small club like St Etienne?
France-born Aubameyang is a former AC Milan youth-team player but failed to make the grade in the senior team, making just two appearances before loan spells at Dijon, Lille, Monaco and his current employers followed. Failure to dislodge the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the Milan first team was no shame but, strangely, the Rossoneri let him go for a paltry 1.8million euros (£1.5m) when St Etienne eventually signed him up permanently. £10m is now thought to be St Etienne’s asking price.



Who does he model himself on?
While they’re not that similar in style, Aubameyang has idolised former Milan team-mate Ibrahimovic, now at Paris St-Germain. The pair are rivals for the honour of being Ligue 1’s top scorer this term, with Ibrahimovic leading the way on 25 goals. Aubameyang remarked of the Swedish target man: ‘He is top class, an amazing striker. Despite being very tall, he is really great on the ball. To compete with him will be hard – he has started very well this season. If I score more than him, that is good for me. If I can do as much as him, that’s good, too. We’ll see at the end.’



Has he done it on the international stage?
Aubameyang was one of the stars of last year’s African Cup of Nations tournament when his country were the co-hosts. The Gabonese was in breathtaking form out wide and scored in all three group games before missing a penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out defeat to Mali.

Who is likely to join?
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley was in the stands with Toon scout Graham Carr as St Etienne drew 2-2 at home to PSG on Sunday. Magpies’ boss Alan Pardew is, of course, a big fan of French players, however it looks like Aubameyang could now snub the Premier League after this week admitting he would relish a switch to Paris to team up once again with Ibrahimovic.

Dejan wrote:bought him on fifa 1 year ago

pretty good

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Agent Claims Manchester City And Arsenal 'Watch Him Constantly'
11th April 2013 By Greg Heffer
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/vie ... nstantly-/

UP to FOUR Premier League clubs are chasing Saint-Etienne star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, his agent has confirmed. The 23-year-old striker is French football's second top scorer this term, netting 17 goals in 30 league games. And, as a result, Aubameyang will be one of the hottest properties on the transfer market this summer. His agent Oscar Damiani revealed Inter Milan have already entered talks for the Gabon international. But he also claimed there was interest from Germany, as well as a host of English clubs. "There are a couple of clubs in the Bundesliga and there is interest from Newcastle and Tottenham," he said. "And I know for certain that Manchester City and Arsenal watch him constantly." Damiani claimed a fee of around £13m could be enough to tempt Saint-Etienne into parting with Aubameyang, with the hit-man almost certain to leave France this summer.

Borussia Dortmund sign Aubameyang

[4.07.] Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund have signed another player following the capture of all-round defender Sokratis (25/SV Werder Bremen). Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined BVB from French first division side AS St Etienne with immediate effect.


Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joins BVB with immediate effect.

The 24-year-old Gabon international, who was born in the French city of Laval and also holds a French passport, was Lique 1´s second best scorer in 2012/13 with 19 goals while setting up another 14. In his 73 games for the southern French side, he netted a total of 35 goals and had a direct hand in another 25. Aubameyang, whose professional career began at AC Milan in 2008, has signed a contract that will keep him at Signal Iduna Park until 30 June 2018. He will join up with the team after their training camp in Austria (3 to 6 July).

"We are very pleased that in Pierre Emerick Aubameyang we were able to sign a player we really wanted. He is offensively very versatile, has a lot of pace in his game, is a threat in front of goal and will provide us with more options," said BVB sporting director Michael Zorc.

The clubs have agreed not to disclose the transfer fee.