Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed that he was in talks to sign for Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, only to refuse due to the “weird” way things were done.
The Borussia Dortmund striker faces Spurs in the Europa League last-16 tonight, but if things had worked out differently he might not have made the move to Germany.
Spurs approached Aubameyang’s previous club, Saint-Etienne, for the Gabon forward in 2012, but he was put off moving to London by the way things were handled.
“In the end everything became a bit weird – I didn’t really like the way things were done,” the 26-year-old told the
Guardian.
“If Spurs ever came back in me for me I’d say no.”
Aubameyang instead moved to Dortmund in 2013, and has gone on to develop into one of Europe’s best strikers, with his pace and accurate finishing proving a lethal combination.
Former Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp’s fast, counter-attacking style helped him establish himself in the side, after Robert Lewandowski’s move to Bayern Munich.
He’s scored 22 goals in 24 Bundesliga appearances, and 32 in all competitions, this season, and also became the first Gabonese player to win the African Footballer of the Year award earlier this year.
Spurs weren’t the only side to miss out on Aubameyang’s talent, as first club Milan sent him out on four successive loans to French clubs before selling to Saint-Etienne.
Newcastle United also tried to tempt the 26-year-old to the Premier League, but Aubameyang, taking the advice of his father, chose to join Dortmund, according to the Guardian.
He will face off against Tottenham’s Harry Kane tonight – the player who’s made the lone striker position his own since Spurs missed out on Aubameyang. Both clubs sit second in their domestic leagues, making this fixture the real heavyweight clash of the Europa League ties.