Thursday 9 June 2016 09:54, UK
Manchester City are in advanced talks with Borussia Dortmund over the signing of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sky sources understand, but what would he bring to the Premier League?
Aubameyang, the Bundesliga Player of the Year, had been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, but the Spanish giants could be on the verge of losing out to City.
The Gabon international's value sky-rocketed last season, with a haul of 25 goals in 29 Bundesliga games bettered only by Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.
But if the 26-year-old were to move to the Etihad Stadium, how would he fit in and would he improve the club's current attacking options?
Factfile
Age: 26
Date of Birth: 18/06/1989
Nationality: Gabonese
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Forward
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 11st 6lbs
Preferred Foot: Right
Well-travelled youngster
The France-born forward actually started his career with AC Milan, joining the Serie A club's youth set-up in 2007, before being promoted to the senior team a year later.
However, unable to force his way past more established forwards such as Alexandre Pato, Kaka and Filippo Inzaghi, Aubameyang then spent season-long loan spells at French sides Dijon, Lille, Monaco and Saint-Etienne during the next four years.
The frontman impressed so much at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in the 2011/12 campaign, when he finished as Ligue 1's top scorer with 16 goals, that Les Verts signed him on a permanent deal in December of that season.
Breakthrough campaign
Aubameyang really made his breakthrough following an excellent campaign in front of goal with Saint-Etienne in 2012/13, finishing behind only PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 19 goals in just 37 games.
As a result, the Gabon international was part of the Ligue 1 Team of the Season, paving the way for his £9m move to Dortmund that July.
Bundesliga switch
Aubameyang wasted little time in making his mark at the Westfalenstadion, scoring a hat-trick against Augsburg on his Bundesliga debut. He found the back of the net with his very first effort on goal in the German top flight.
In total, Aubameyang scored 16 goals in 48 matches in all competitions that season after mainly being utilised out wide, with Robert Lewandowski playing as the club's main striker.
But after the Pole's departure to Bayern Munich that summer, the forward managed to register 25 goals and 11 assists in 46 matches in all competitions the following season, despite Dortmund's struggles under Jurgen Klopp.
In the 2015/16 campaign he became the first player in the Bundesliga to score in the opening six fixtures of the campaign, ending with 25 goals.
Strengths and suitability for City
One of Aubameyang's main strengths is his lightning-quick pace, a facet of his game which has already been seen to great effect on many occasions during his time in Germany.
He would therefore be ideally suited to the hurly-burly nature of the Premier League.
Aubameyang has a versatility to his game as well, having started out life on the wings, meaning he could play out wide as a forward in a three-man frontline.
Though Manchester City played a 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of last season, the arrival of Pep Guardiola could change that, with the Spaniard having flipped between 4-3-3 and 4-1-4-1 with Bayern Munich last term.
Aubameyang can also operate as either a lone frontman, or even up front as part of a 4-4-2 formation.
Overall, Aubameyang's speed, ability in the air, exceptional technique - including from set-pieces - and consistency in front of goal would all seemingly make him an ideal addition to City's frontline next season.
The view in Germany
Sky in Germany's football expert Uli Kohler explains why Manchester City will have to break the British transfer record if they're to sign Aubameyang.
"Well, normally Dortmund always say that Aubameyang is not for sale, because he has a contract to 2020, but as we all know, money talks.
"If the offer is good, and I mean really good, and I mean above 80m euros, then maybe they talk about it.
"If Pep gets him, you've got a real player. Pep showed in Germany he makes players better, which is an attraction to players to move to England to work for him.
"I think there's a good possibility if City open their purse."
What he said
"I'm absolutely delighted that the next years of my career will be spent at Borussia Dortmund. I feel very happy at the club, in this team and in this city. Dortmund has become like a second home to me. Every part of me wants to be here and I have never wanted to leave." (July 2015)
What they said
"Auba has developed outstandingly. We are very happy that we have been able to tie him down to a long-term contract." (Dortmund's director of sport Michael Zorc after Aubameyang signed a new deal last summer).
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