The admiration is mutual, it seems.
According to 90Min, Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has implored the Gunners to make a move for his fellow Gabon international this summer.
And while Aaron Boupendza is hardly the sort of big-name signing that would have supporters camping overnight to renew their season ticket, the striker’s stats speak for themselves.
In 16 starts, Boupendza has scored 18 goals for Turkish top-flight newcomers Hatayspor.
No-one has found the net more frequently than the 24-year-old in 2020/21.
And, if Arsenal follow Auba’s advice and make a move for one of Europe’s most upwardly mobile attackers, expect Boupendza to jump at the chance of joining his superstar compatriot in the English capital.
“I have had the chance to play with (Aubameyang at international level). He’s a world class player,” the former Bordeaux youngster said last year, via Gabon Review.
“When you share a locker room with these kinds of players, it’s exceptional. He’s a guy I’d like to play with for a long time. I would like to play with him as long as possible in order to learn alongside him.
“(He is) exceptional, the strongest I’ve played with.”
According to 90Min, Boupendza has admirers at Wolves, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, West Ham and Brighton, as well as Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic.
Tottenham apparently see the Super Lig sensation as a potential successor to Benfica loanee Carlos Vinicius, while Southampton are in the market for a long-term Danny Ings replacement.
It remains to be seen, however, if Arsenal share Aubameyang’s admiration for a player we will be hearing a lot more about in the next few months.
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