No single player was at fault for Borussia Dortmund complete and utter capitulation against Schalke on Saturday, when the home side threw away a 4-0 lead at half-time to finish the match level at 4-4 in the much-anticipated Ruhr derby. But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was surely the most culpable.
Despite a goal and two assists by half-time, the Gabon striker managed to get himself sent off in the 72nd minute and in the midst of a Schalke resurgence. Perhaps blaming a striker for his side shipping four goals is a little harsh, but there’s no denying that his early exit while his team sunk to new depths was somewhat fitting of Aubameyang’s relationship with the club these days.
In the previous match against Tottenham Hotspur, Aubameyang had sent the Westfalenstadion in to delirium with an opening goal. Yet despite the euphoria surrounding him, the 28-year-old refused to celebrate. It was his first game back after a one-match ban, following a disciplinary from the club, and he was in no mood to try and court the intrigue of love of a club and fan base that had turned him in to a superstar.
Aubameyang wants to leave Dortmund. He knows it. The clubs knows it. And the fans are certainly well aware of it too. And at this point, with renewed interest from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, it would seem as though the Bundesliga side may finally have reached a point where cashing in their chips and moving on may be the best option on the table.
Why sell a star striker? Well, for starters he’s not too interested in performing at the level he’s used to playing at for Dortmund. Although Aubameyang may already have 17 goals to his name this season, he’s only scored in two of his last six Bundesliga appearances. A dip in goalscoring that led to Dortmund failing to win each and every game.
Similarly, despite playing every minute of Dortmund’s Champions League campaign he’s only managed to bag two goals. Although the team as a whole have looked at odds this season, Aubameyang hasn’t exactly led by example or used his talents to drag his side on like former Dortmund stars such as Mats Hummels or Robert Lewandowski had before him.
There’s also the simple economics of the situation. A bid of £65 million could be put to exceptional use in this Dortmund squad, including the signing of new, younger strikers that are willing to run through walls just to be given the chance of leading the line for one of the biggest clubs in European football.
In a world with Timo Werner knocking goals in for fun at RB Leipzig or Kevin Volland at Bayer Leverkusen, why should Dortmund have to settle for a grumpy, unenthused Aubameyang on their books? Cutting their losses, rebuilding a troubled squad and moving on seems like a far better prospect.
