Borussia Dortmund chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke has hinted that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's decision to leave the club and join Arsenal was motivated by money.

Watzke spoke to Suddeutsche Zeitung (h/t the Mirror's Alex Richards) about the striker who left the Bundesliga side in January 2018:

"Of course it is hard to keep a player in the face of such sums. Some go to clubs because of this money, where they have not played Champions League for years. Aubameyang, who plays great at Arsenal, will probably be warm-hearted when he looks at his bank account, but on Wednesdays will be saddened when he has to watch the Champions League on television."

Aubameyang departed Dortmund under a cloud after forcing an exit. The striker was suspended and fined for missing a team meeting ahead of his move and apologised for his behaviour after sealing his switch.

He wrote on Instagram (h/t The Independent's Samuel Lovett): "First of all, sorry for everything that happened in the last month. But I wanted to change last summer, it did not work, but now it had to be. Maybe it was not the best way I chose, but everyone knows that Auba is crazy."

The striker left Dortmund as one of their greatest-ever goalscorers, racking up 98 Bundesliga goals in his five years with the club: 

Aubameyang has maintained that prolific form at Arsenal after signing for a then-club-record fee of £55.4 million on a "deal worth almost £200,000-a-week," according to Jeremy Wilson at the Daily Telegraph.

The striker scored 22 Premier League goals in 2018-19 to share the Golden Boot in a three-way tie with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but his efforts were not enough to fire Arsenal into the UEFA Champions League.

Unai Emery's side were beaten in the final of the UEFA Europa League by Chelsea and finished fifth in the Premier League, meaning they missed out on qualification for Europe's top competition for the third season in succession.

Aubameyang has continued the 2019-20 Premier League campaign in similar form, racking up seven goals in his first seven games:

Yet it looks like the Gunners will once again face a battle to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League. The club are in fourth position after seven games but are yet to convince and have won only one of their last five matches in the Premier League.