Borussia Dortmund confirmed that Sunday’s talks with Arsenal over the transfer of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended without conclusion.

There was plenty of excitement around when Ivan Gazidis and Sven Mislintat were pictured in Germany on Sunday with Aubameyang’s car in the background.

It is now obvious that Arsenal’s interest in Aubameyang is genuine, and that work is being done on a deal.

According to Der Western, though, that work is far from complete.

They report that while a meeting took place with Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and sporting director Michael Zorc, no agreement was reached.

“There is no new stand,” Zorc said after the meeting, hinting that Arsenal have yet to meet the German club’s valuation for the player.

Dortmund want at least £61m for the striker, while Arsenal’s recent offer was £46m.

Der Western report that Aubameyang staying at Dortmund beyond January is still possible, even if it’s not the most desired outcome.

A potential solution to the problem could be Olivier Giroud.

According to Kicker, Dortmund would like the Frenchman as Aubameyang’s replacement.

Giroud isn’t a regular starter at the club at the moment and will need more first team football ahead of the World Cup.

Hence, it’s possible that Giroud could be sent to Dortmund as a short-term replacement for Aubameyang.

That might help bridge the gap between the two clubs.