Borussia Dortmund manager Peter Stöger says he’s glad the transfer window is over and it’s a good thing they can now put the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga behind them.
Dortmund sold Aubameyang to Arsenal for a reported £56m on deadline day. The striker had 21 goals and three assists in 24 games for the German club.
Rather than lament the loss of the goals, Stöger told a press conference he’s just pleased to move on.
“I am just happy the window’s closed now,” Stöger said (via ESPN). “I am delighted those discussions have ended. And I like the decision we’ve made. You just don’t know if there would have been any calm if we’d made a different decision.
“We have a good replacement. The quality is still there to reach our goals, even after Auba’s exit. That’s why I think it’s a good thing because we now have our peace.”
Dortmund must have felt just as much in limbo as the Gunners for the past few days. After the two clubs agreed a fee, and Aubameyang requested a transfer, holding onto him could’ve been very damaging for morale. Unfortunately, according to the BBC’s David Ornstein, they couldn’t risk selling the player on without securing a replacement first.
The whole deal is very reminiscent of Alexis Sanchez’s near-move to Manchester City over the summer. The Chilean and the two clubs agreed a transfer, but Arsenal couldn’t find a replacement in time.
We all saw how that turned out: with a few months of inconsistent performances and a move to Manchester United. I’m sure Dortmund didn’t want the same thing to happen to them.
Thankfully, they have Michy Batshuayi now, and Arsenal have their number one January target. I think that’s a “good thing” for everyone.