Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was seen having a kick-about with friends after being left out of Borussia Dortmund’s game against Hertha Berlin.
Aubameyang had been left at home for Dortmund’s Bundesliga clash with Hertha on Friday night.
Manager Peter Stoger said that the striker was not 100% focussed amid speculation he could be leaving the club. He has, of course, been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.
The 28-year-old decided to use the time to have a kick-about with his friends, while wearing a Dortmund shirt with “Dembele” on the back, of all things.
https://twitter.com/archiert1/status/954500846330568705
Ousmane Dembele was a teammate of Aubameyang’s last season before he forced a move to Barcelona in the summer.
The winger’s decision to go on strike left him with few friends in Germany.
It seems Aubameyang is treading a similar path.
Reacting to the images, manager Peter Stoger said (via Sport1): “I did not see the photos. Basically, I don’t care if he plays in some corner. That’s his decision. If he plays all week and plays well, he’ll be back in the squad for Freiburg.”
Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc also hasn’t ruled out the striker returning to the squad, so long as he remains professional.
“Returning to the squad is possible if he behaves professionally,” he said.
Sport1 go on to report that Aubameyang had looked “listless” during training, which prompted the decision to leave him out.
We don’t know how close he is to joining Arsenal, but it seems he’s doing his best to make it happen.