Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
{Profile Updated 01/09/12}
And before you ask, no I have not got his picture confused with Neymar!!
Date of Birth: - 18.06.1989
Height: - 6ft 1inch
Position: - Striker, Wider striker (Anywhere in a front three)
Nationality: - Gabon
Current Club: - AS Saint - Etienne
Estimated Market Value: - £7 million
Linked with: - Liverpool, Southampton, QPR, Swansea and Aston Villa
Club Statistics
Dijon
2008/2009 season - 37 matches, 8 goals and 2 assists.
OSC Lille
2009/2010 season - 24 matches, 2 goals and no assists.
AS Monaco
2010/2011 season - 23 matches, 2 goals and 3 assists.
AS Saint - Etienne
2010/2011 season - 14 matches, 2 goals and no assists.
2011/2012 season - 38 matches, 18 goals and 11 assists.
2012/2013 season - 3 matches, 2 goals and 1 assist.
TOTAL - 55 matches, 22 goals and 12 assists.
International Statistics
Gabon
2008/2009 season - 6 matches, 1 goal and no assists.
2009/2010 season - 3 matches, no goals and 1 assist.
2010/2011 season - 3 matches, 2 goals and no assists.
2012 season - 7 matches, 3 goals and 3 assists.
TOTAL - 19 matches, 6 goals and 4 assists.
General Comments:
Ok so all of a sudden every single Liverpool fan will know who this player is without having seen him. The question is, is he any good?
Well the answer is a resounding yes. He is a little gem of a player, he scores goals wherever he is and this is something which all teams need; a goal scorer. So what makes Aubameyang a good player? Well for a start, he is ridiculously quick. I honestly dont know that Ive seen a quicker footballer around over 10 yards, the first 10 yards is where he leaves players for dead. His acceleration off the mark is unrivalled in world football in my opinion. He is able to make up a lot of ground on defenders very quickly, always hassling them and harrying never giving up on anything. This is an excellent trait to have.
On to his technical ability, he looks a very tidy player. Has a good first touch and seems to be able to hit a dipping ball on the volley with ease which shows excellent technique. He never seems to let the ball get away from him which is often a problem with quick players, they don't develop their touch to a high enough standard because they can make up for it with pace. Aubameyang does not fall into this category however, he has a very good touch which allows him to get away from defenders even easier.
Now onto his finishing, its good but not spectacular. Yes he does have an excellent goal scoring record however a large proportion of his goals are extremely lucky, with goalkeeping errors a large part of why they end up in the back of the net. However some of his finishing is downright excellent. Like I said he has the ability to hit a dipping ball on the volley and has scored a few goals like this.
Aubameyang is a very versatile player, as he can play anywhere in a front three, which would be perfect for Liverpool. He has the ability to lead the line but he can also operate as a winger. If Im being honest I see him as a slightly better version of Walcott but he would come at a fraction of the price.
Would Aubameyang cut it in the Premier League?
Absolutely. He has all the attributes necessary to be a successful premier league player. He is fast, has a good touch, a solid physical build and knows where the back of the net is. However I would say if he were to move to the premier league he wouldn't be anywhere near as prolific as he has been elsewhere as the level of goalkeeping and defending is much higher here. But all in all I think he would be able to make it in the premier league.
Summary of Aubameyang:
Strengths: Blistering pace, touch, versatility,
Weaknesses: Finishing suspect at times, other than that not a lot of weaknesses.
The Business End of the Profile:
In the end, reports linking the player with a move to Liverpool were wrong. However, if he continues to improve as he is, he can only just attract more interest from teams - however, his price tag will only continue to rise too!!
Thanks
{A profile by Ed063}