DUSSELDORF - Borussia Dortmund coach Peter Stoeger believes striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future remains with the club, he said in an interview published Wednesday.
"I assume so," he told Sport Bild when asked if the 28-year-old Aubameyang would stay with Dortmund this winter. Selling the forward would be a major loss on the pitch: "Because it would be difficult to replace someone with his scoring ratio."
Aubameyang was suspended on Sunday for the Bundesliga match with Wolfsburg for missing a team meeting. In his absence, Dortmund laboured in attack and were held to a goalless draw.
But it was Aubameyang's second internal ban of the season and third overall, leading to speculation he could be sold. According to the Bild newspaper, Aubameyang and his father/agent Pierre Aubameyang, have been in negotiations with Premier League side Arsenal.
Aubameyang is the second top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with 13 goals, behind only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski on 15. Dortmund are fourth in the table ahead of Friday's trip to Hertha Berlin.