Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has hit back at Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke after the German took a swipe at Arsenal's recent inability to qualify for the Champions League.
The Gabon international joined the Gunners in January 2018 in a then-club record deal worth £56m. The 30-year-old has been in outstanding form ever since, netting 49 goals in just 73 appearances for the club, scooping the Premier League Golden Boot alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in his first full season in north London.
While his scoring rate is exemplary, Aubameyang has been forced to showcase that talent on Europe's second-best club stage as Arsenal have failed to qualify for the Champions League for a third season running. That blotch on his record with the Gunners was opportunity for Watzke to poke fun, claiming the only thing satisfying Aubameyang now is his enlarged paycheque.
He told Suddeutsche Zeitung: "[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, who plays great at Arsenal, will probably be warm-hearted when he looks at his bank account, but on Wednesdays will be saddened when he has to watch the Champions League on television."
That drew a heated response from the Premier League forward, who took to Twitter to lash out at Watzke, citing Dortmund's sale of Ousmane Dembele as the perfect example of how money is in the forefront of the CEO's mind.
"Better for you I never talk about why I really left Dortmund Mr Watzke you such a [clown]," he replied. "Remember that time you said we never gonna sell Ousmane then you saw more than 100M. You were the first to take that money don't talk about money please!!! Leave me alone pls."
Aubameyang's Arsenal side are in Europa League action on Thursday night as they host Standard Liege in the second group stage fixture of their campaign.
Source :
90min