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What's the story?
Liverpool F.C. are on the verge of bidding goodbye to one of their very best players, Philippe Coutinho. The attacking midfielder is set to don the red and blue of Barcelona, as a replacement for the recently departed Neymar.
According to Daily Express, if Liverpool do indeed see the end of their association with the Brazilian heartthrob, they will then invest their attention and money in Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
In case you didn't know...
Liverpool's manager, Jurgen Klopp, is known to be fond of the Gabon international, having worked with him extensively during his time as Borussia Dortmund's manager. The German is understood to have chased the striker earlier this summer but to no avail.
The pacey forward is in a rich vein of form, having scored 40 goals in 46 appearances for Dortmund in all competitions last season to be crowned their top scorer. Having developed a proclivity towards finding the back of the net, the 28-year-old has been linked to several of Europe's top sides.
The heart of the matter
Coutinho has been a central figure in the Liverpool side and their fans will be deeply saddened by his departure. The club's chiefs will be wary of Barcelona and their already deep pockets which have further been deepened by Neymar's sale to Paris Saint-Germain.
Klopp's best option would be to name an exorbitant price for his midfielder and hope that it deters Barcelona. The club's authorities have resigned to the fact that if Barcelona actually do come knocking for Coutinho, there's not much anyone can do to stop it.
Liverpool are prudently believed to be looking out for alternatives, with Aubameyang topping the list. Klopp was forced to rescind his interest in the striker earlier this summer because of Dortmund's asking price for the forward. However, the imminent sale of Coutinho is bound to solve Klopp's financial woes, with the German intent on signing an able replacement.
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Author's take
Aubameyang certainly has found clinical rhythm in Germany and has consistently been firing in goals with seemingly effortless finishing. Having scored 30+ goals in his last two seasons for Dortmund, the striker has evolved into a world class entity, bound to see top sides squabbling over his signature.
The striker will deeply enhance pretty much any attack he's put into and the 28-year-old will invariably find a plethora of takers.
The real question is, will Dortmund agree to sell him?
