Reports: Zinedine Zidane could pull the plug on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's move to Real Madrid
What’s the story?
As per Sport Bild, Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is no longer the prime target for Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane. According to the report, the French manager is happy with the attackers at his disposal and he could veto a move for the striker.
The report also states that the Los Blancos’ manager doesn’t believe that Aubameyang is the type of player that Madrid need now.
In case you didn’t know...
Aubameyang is one of the most feared and effective strikers in world football currently. The Gabon international has pace to burn, is excellent in front of goal and is a livewire on the pitch. The Dortmund striker has scored 20 goals in 22 appearances for the club this season – an incredible goalscoring ratio.
Also Read: Rumour: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wanted by Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG
The former Saint-Étienne striker joined the German club in 2013 and has gone on to score 100 goals in just 165 appearances for the club. Aubameyang’s contract with Dortmund expires in 2020 and he’s valued between €50-60 million.
The heart of the matter
The Gabonese striker has been on Real Madrid’s wishlist for awhile now, and rumours of his move to Los Blancos have been rife, with the player himself expressing a desire to leave Dortmund.
Aubameyang has publicly expressed his desire to play for the Madrid club and said, “I made a promise to my grandfather to play there one day [Real Madrid], I hope it will happen.”
The Sport Bild report states that Zidane is happy with the attacking talent that he has at Madrid and would reject a move for the striker, although the Real Madrid board is interested in making the deal happen.
What next?
If a move to Madrid doesn’t materialise, Aubameyang has several other clubs vying for his signature, with Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea interested in signing him.
Also Read: Manchester United transfer rumour: Real Madrid set asking price for James Rodriguez at £52 million
There have also been reports of the cash-rich clubs in the Chinese Super League keen on tempting him to make a move eastwards.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Zidane’s decision to not pursue the Gabon international could be because of the array of attacking riches at Madrid, with the likes of Karim Benzema, Álvaro Morata, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez part of the squad.
There have also been rumours that Juventus’ Argentinian striker, Paulo Dybala, is set to move to Real Madrid in the summer, when the Spanish club’s transfer ban is lifted.