Clubs eyeing to secure the services of Gabon superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang only have few days to begin talks with Borussia Dortmund, says club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.
Earlier, FootTheBall had reported that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been offered to Premier League champions Chelsea for £65million.
Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund are ready to sell the Gabon striker, even though he has displayed incredible form – with 120 goals to his name in 189 appearances.
Dortmund have made Aubameyang available this summer and has put top-flight European clubs on red alert.
And now Serie A giants AC Milan and Premier League club Liverpool have joined Chelsea in the race to sign the Gabon hit-man.
Milan’s new Chinese owners have been busy splurging cash this summer to bolster the squad as they are desperate to challenge for the title in the upcoming season.
They have already roped in Andre Silva, Ricardo Rodriguez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Andrea Conti, Mateo Musacchio, Franck Kessie, Fabio Borini, Bonucci and Bigila.
Sources reveal that the Serie A club is now eyeing to sign another new striker and have identified Dortmund man Aubameyang and Torino forward Belotti as their top targets.
Amid rumours about huge interest in Aubameyang, Dortmund CEO Watzke accentuated that they have not yet received offers for the 28-year-old Gabon man and insisted that clubs have very less time to make a move.
Watzke said: “We have not had any offers. We will wait a few more days but not long anymore.”
“We have told Aubameyang: ‘if you want to move and have a club ready to meet our conditions, come to us and we can will talk about it’. But we also explained that this is only possible within a certain window of time. We must find a replacement, which is difficult, if not impossible. “
“Personally, I would prefer he stay with us, but there are a few clubs on this planet where he can obviously earn more.”
Meanwhile Dortmund have received a huge boost after the return of Mario Gotze, who played his first game since February in Saturday’s friendly clash against Urawa Reds.
The German midfielder has now regained full fitness after recovering from a metabolic disorder and Watzke insisted that he is all set to play a pivotal role in the squad next season.
“From his mentality and attitude to his great passion, Mario was always ready,” he said. “That was never a concern. However, he suffered a serious illness. We have never talked about it in detail and will not. “
“[Sporting director] Michael Zorc and I had very close contact with him over the last five months. We knew everything. The fact that it is now all going in the right direction makes us all happy. “
“If Mario is fit, he is one of Borussia Dortmund’s most important players.”