Arsenal get their big fish

– Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (above) joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club record fee of £56 million yesterday, in the biggest deal by midday transfer deadline day.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger – who last August kept the football world on tenterhooks as he held out selling Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City because he failed to secure Thomas Lemar from Monaco – did not wait until the last minute to land the Gabon striker.

Wenger persuaded the Arsenal board to pay more for the 28-yearold than the £46.5 million they shelled out for Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette last August.

“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined us from Borussia Dortmund on a long-term contract for a club-record fee,” the statement from Arsenal said.

Aubameyang’s arrival should see French veteran Olivier Giroud completing the musical chairs by signing for Chelsea even though Wenger was loathe to let him move to a rival as Sanchez joined Manchester United earlier this month.

Elsewhere runaway leaders Manchester City have lodged a surprise £60 million bid for 2016 champions Leicester City’s Algerian star Riyad Mahrez, who ignored manager Claude Puel’s pleas for him to stay by putting in a transfer request.

However, Leicester were unlikely to let the 26-year-old – who was a key player in their stunning title success in 2016 and who has returned to form this term after a dip last season – leave for less than £90 million.

City have lost influential German winger Leroy Sane for up to seven weeks with an ankle injury and with the club competing on four fronts Guardiola suggested he may require a replacement.

“Right now, it’s the same as (Alexis) Sanchez, it’s not the place to talk about it. It’s so difficult,” City manager Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday when asked about Mahrez.

Tottenham too are getting close to signing Brazilian Lucas Moura, who has fallen out of favour at French giants Paris Saint-Germain with the arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. – AFP

I think the club have such a big history with great players like Thierry Henry, so it’s an example for us strikers... Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang