Where’s the ambition? Premier League giants risk making huge error by overlooking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

As the Premier League’s big guns jostle and fight to sign a world-class striker this summer, there is one player that seems to have escaped all attention. Despite leading the Bundesliga scoring charts last season and ranking third on the European Golden Shoe list, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been almost entirely overlooked. It has become patently clear that there are few high-calibre strikers available this summer – so why is he not more in demand?

Not only are Borussia Dortmund prepared to sell Aubameyang – they have even named their price, €70 million (£61.5m), and have lined up replacements – but he is also keen to leave the club and test himself elsewhere. Yet there is no queue of suitors for a player who has scored 79 goals in the last two seasons, despite his widely acknowledged availability.

Paris Saint-Germain pulled the plug on a deal, instead preferring to try and lure Kylian Mbappe to the French capital, while Manchester City have been muted as a potential destination only if they fail in their bid to sign Alexis Sanchez. The only other offer of note comes from China, with Tianjin Quanjian trying to tempt him to move east with the lure of a €40m (£34.9m) a year salary, or £672,000 per week.

Aubameyang’s price tag may seem excessive, but in the current market it should be considered a bargain. It is significantly less than the frankly astounding £100m Everton are quoting for Romelu Lukaku, while Manchester United’s hopes of landing Alvaro Morata are being held up by Real Madrid’s desire to get a fee as close to the £75.3m Juventus paid for Gonzalo Higuain.

In north London, meanwhile, Arsenal have been told to stump up £54m for Alexandre Lacazette – just £7.5m less than Aubameyang would cost – while the total absence of any striker targets at Anfield is becoming an increasing concern for Liverpool.

All the while, Aubameyang is waiting on the sidelines, considered by many clubs as a backup target rather than their primary concern. But it should be the other way around. The Gabon international is tailor-made for the Premier League and significantly more complete and established than other targets being chased.

Quite apart from his goals – he netted 31 times in 32 Bundesliga appearances last season – he offers a potent blend of searing pace, clever movement and tenacious defensive work, evolving into a thoroughbred goalscorer under Thomas Tuchel. The coach’s departure will surely only strengthen Aubameyang’s desire to leave, having made huge strides under his tutelage even if they sometimes had their differences.

The German tactician gave him a more prominent, central role than that afforded to him by Jurgen Klopp, who initially deployed him on the flanks – though admittedly he was in competition with Robert Lewandowski for a time. He improved his finishing thanks to a combination of greater confidence, better chance creation and smarter decision-making in the final third, even out-scoring the Bayern Munich striker last season as he developed into perhaps Europe’s most dangerous poacher in and around the six-yard box.

Even when not scoring, he is still a vitally important part of the way Dortmund play. In matches where they dominate the ball, his zig-zagging runs unnerve defences, while his pace ensures they hold a deeper line. When BVB need to be reactive, he is the release ball, the counter-attacking outlet and the first wave of their pulsating press.

It is for those reasons that he feels so perfect for the rabble of clubs looking to build a title-winning squad this summer. Jose Mourinho needs that exact marriage of explosiveness and clinicalness up front, while he offers considerably more pedigree than Lukaku, especially on a European stage. But at least United and Chelsea have worthy alternatives in the pipeline, unlike Liverpool and Arsenal.

In Lacazette, the Gunners are targeting a player Arsene Wenger has turned down the opportunity to sign multiple times in the past and who is well below Olivier Giroud in the French national team pecking order. At Liverpool, Mohamed Salah may be on his way but there is a staggering absence of goals, especially with Daniel Sturridge expected to depart.

The irony is that Aubameyang is perfect for both sides. Tuchel’s Dortmund played a very similar brand of football to Arsenal, coaching the attack to create high quality chances inside the box, particularly from pull-backs.

Similarly, the Gunners had the second-most shots on target from inside the box last term, despite attempting fewer total efforts. In fact, 28.6 per cent of their total efforts came in this manner, compared to 25.5% for Chelsea and 24.6% for Tottenham. Their struggles last season owed much to the absence of an Aubameyang-type spearhead to finish off the many very good chances they created.

Liverpool’s need for a frontman, meanwhile, is pretty clear – unless they intend to use Roberto Firmino as a false No.9. Aubameyang ticks all the boxes from a tactical point of view, having been exposed to Klopp’s gegenpressing in their two years together at BVB, though there have been some suggestions that the two did not enjoy the best working relationship.

The decision of so many clubs not to target Aubameyang comes across as either a major oversight, or a crippling lack of ambition. Both FSG and Wenger have committed to spending big this summer, but so far they only have a pair of freebies between them to show for it. If they want to show they really mean business, then the Dortmund man should be at the very top of their list of targets. Instead, Wenger’s doomed Kylian Mbappe chase risks undermining their season before it has begun.

MORE : PSG cancel Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang deal as Premier League sides battle Tianjin Quanjian for his signature