ARSENAL are sweating on Borussia Dortmund finding a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gabon international, 28, is ready to fly to London to complete his £55million move but the Germans are still looking to land another striker.
Dortmund have looked at Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi — on loan — and Frenchman Anthony Modeste, who is playing at Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian on loan from Cologne.
Arsenal have agreed a deal for Aubameyang and were happy to allow Olivier Giroud to move the other way.
But Giroud is understood to be keen on staying in England for family reasons.
Chelsea remain an option for Giroud, although boss Arsene Wenger would not be happy about selling to a rival.
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But the Blues’ Italian chief Antonio Conte is keen on Giroud, particularly now a move for Roma’s Edin Dzeko has collapsed.
The west London club walked away after Dzeko wanted a deal until 2021 and £6.1m a year.
NUMBER ON THE DOR Arsenal fans get Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shirts printed with No14 as Dortmund striker nears Emirates move
Chelsea will go for Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente if they cannot land Giroud.
But they did sign Roma defender Emerson Palmieri last night for around £18m on a four-year deal.
It allows Blues defender Baba Rahman to join Schalke on loan.
Meanwhile, Aubameyang was criticised yesterday for failing to testify in a trial over the bomb attack on the team last year.
Dortmund’s team bus was targeted in April on the way to their home Champions League quarter-final tie against Monaco.
Aubameyang was due to speak at the trial of the alleged attacker Sergei Wenergold but did not show up, citing illness.
Prosecutor Carsten Dombert called the sick note presented by the player’s lawyer “absolutely feeble”.
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