French champions Paris Saint-Germain are understood to have kickstarted negotiations with Arsenal over a summer deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a report from Todofichajes claims.
The Gabon international has been a key player for the Gunners since his move from Borussia Dortmund two years ago and he has registered 61 goals and 13 assists for the club from just 97 games in all competitions.
Despite his impressive showing, the club have failed to qualify for the Champions League in recent seasons and they face the possibility of missing out on the same during the ongoing campaign.
As a result, he has been reluctant to extend his stay beyond the summer of 2021 and it appears that he could head through the exit door when the transfer window reopens at the end of the season.
According to Todofichajes, Les Parisiens are keen on landing a new striker this summer with both Edinson Cavani and Mauro Icardi likely to leave the club in the coming months.
It is added that the club have already opened talks with the Gunners over the purchase of Aubameyang and they are willing to pay a fee of around £34m for the ex-AC Milan graduate.
While Aubameyang is ‘very attracted’ to the prospect of playing alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, it is reported that the forward could assess his options as Real Madrid continue to remain his preferred destination.
The Gunners have been dependent on Aubameyang for more than 40 percent (17 out of 40) of their league goals this term and the majority of those have come in winning situations for the club.
As such, manager Mikel Arteta would prefer to keep hold of the 30-year-old but judging by the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the club are not in a position where they can risk the prospect of losing Aubameyang on a free in 13 months’ time.
As a result, his departure appears the most likely solution during the next transfer window unless he makes the decision to commit his future to the north London giants on a new and improved contract.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
