Arsenal's move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped over the line after co-operation from Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia

Arsenal would not have managed to acquire striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang without the help of Chelsea, reveals Gunners' former transfer guru Dick Law.

The Gabonese striker moved to north London from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 for a club-record £56million.

But the move from Borussia Dortmund was protracted and Arsenal required the help of Chelsea in a bid to get it over the line.  

Dortmund wanted to bring in Michy Batshuayi as Aubayemang's replacement while Chelsea wanted Olivier Giroud from Arsenal. 

But Batshuayi was the integral piece in Dortmund entertaining Aubayemang's departure and Law has opened up on how the deal was sorted by Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia. 



'The Aubameyang deal was crazy because Giroud wanted out,' Law told GOAL.

'Chelsea were loaning Michy Batshuayi to Dortmund and Aubameyang was coming to us.

'It was the three-way deal. Dortmund said if we don't get the player from Chelsea, then Aubameyang doesn't leave and, of course, if we didn't get Aubameyang, we weren't going to let Giroud go.

'In football, we don't end up talking to our counterparts on a personal basis very much, but we were at such loggerheads during that three-way move that I called Marina [Granovskaia] and said everything was going to live or die on the three of us trusting each other.

'I've got so much respect for Marina, she's always been a straight shooter. And she said if we get Giroud, we will loan our player to Dortmund and then you guys can sort yourselves out with them. And that's what happened.'  





MailOnline