Saturday 9 Mar 2013 3:49 pm
Arsenal have joined the race for Saint Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after trusted scout Gilles Grimandi ran the rule over him on Friday night.
Aubameyang, who has been dubbed ‘the African Neymar’, is rated as a huge star in France and has backed that up with 16 goals this season – including one in front of Grimandi as Saint Etienne drew 2-2 with Rennes.
Arsene Wenger had his chief talent spotter in France watch Aubameyang specifically, while Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham were also in attendance to monitor the Gabon hitman.
Impressive: Aubameyang scored his 16th of the season against Rennes (Picture: AP)
It is thought Grimandi gave a glowing report on Aubameyang and his progress this term, and Wenger is now set to send chief scout Steve Rowley in the coming weeks to beef up their knowledge on the player.
Newcastle already know all about the 23-year-old having bid for him in January, only for Saint Etienne to reject the offer as they hope to hold out until the summer for a bigger fee.
The Ligue 1 side are believed to want up to £15million, but with Aubameyang pushing for a move to England and refusing to sign a new contract, the sale price could be closer to £10million.
http://metro.co.uk