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In
this Dec. 12, 2017 photo Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks on during a
German first division Bundesliga soccer match between FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia
Dortmund in Mainz, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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Borussia Dortmund was
hoping for a quiet start to the year after a turbulent 2017 but Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang has ensured the drama continues.
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Aubameyang's
relationship with the German club has deteriorated to such an extent that he
was suspended by Dortmund last weekend and the Gabon striker is being linked
with a move to the English Premier League this month.
Arsenal
coach Arsene Wenger hinted there had been contact on Thursday when he said:
"These kind of things, it's better when it's secret."
Wenger's
remarks drew immediate criticism from Dortmund, with sporting director Michael
Zorc saying: "We find it lacks respect to talk about players from other
clubs. There is no contact with Arsenal."
Aubameyang,
who has scored 98 goals in 143 league games since joining Dortmund from
Saint-Etienne in 2013, missed a team meeting last weekend.
Zorc
said he didn't know what the striker was thinking. It was the third time in
just over a year that Dortmund has suspended the player.
Aubameyang
was dropped in November for inviting a film crew to the club and then turning
up late for training. Former coach Thomas Tuchel also banned him 12 months
earlier for taking an unsanctioned trip to Milan.
"From
the point of view of indiscipline, missing appointments, there comes a point
when it's no longer tolerated and that's where we are today," Zorc said
after the latest suspension on Sunday.
On
Monday, English teammate Jadon Sancho published an Instagram video during which
Aubameyang asked him to "bring me to London one day," a post that has
since been deleted.
The
Aubameyang saga has prolonged the sense of upheaval at the club after a testing
year in 2017. There was a bomb attack on the team bus in April, while Tuchel
was fired in May and chief scout Sven Mislintat left for London club Arsenal
last month.
On
the field, Dortmund's best-ever start to a season was followed by a dramatic
collapse that effectively ended its title hopes and led to the dismissal of new
coach Peter Bosz in December.
Aubameyang
has scored 13 league goals this season but he has been inconsistent and a loss
of form coincided with Dortmund's slump. The team failed to score without him
when they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Wolfsburg on Sunday.
While
Zorc has been highly critical of Aubameyang, new coach Peter Stoeger has been
more conciliatory and has left the door open for the 28-year-old forward to
reclaim his place in the side.
"I
told him what I expect," Stoeger said ahead of Friday's trip to Hertha
Berlin. "He himself decides if he's considered. Right now I have the
impression that everything's OK. We don't have talks every day. As long as he's
a Dortmund player, I'll be counting on him.
"It's
relatively harmonious with us at the moment. It's a lot quieter than it seems.
If someone learns from their mistakes they're welcome. Aubameyang brings his
qualities."
Kicker magazine has reported that Dortmund values its striker at €70 million (US$85.6 million).
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