How Aubameyang came good at Dortmund

When Borussia Dortmund signed Gabonese international forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Saint-Étienne in summer 2013, fans were not sure quite what to expect. The fleet-of-foot attacker drove a bilious-green sports car, wore boots studded with crystals and donned a Spiderman mask after scoring, but was he an out-and-out striker or a winger?

Having hit 16 and 19 Ligue 1 goals respectively in his two full seasons at St-Étienne, Aubameyang's scoring credentials were impressive, yet with Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp having already earmarked Robert Lewandowski as his lone front man, the newcomer was farmed out to the flanks and charged with using his speed to unsettle opponents. He claimed 13 goals in that first Westfalenstadion campaign, though – with an unreliable first touch and a tendency to fluff easy chances – many thought pace was all that former AC Milan prospect Aubameyang had.

Lewandowski's departure that summer preceded a gloomy 2014/15 for Dortmund, who were bottom of the table in February before recovering to snatch a UEFA Europa League place. However, with Ciro Immobile and Adrián Ramos failing to adequately fill Lewandowski's boots, Aubameyang was increasingly deployed up front and responded with improved showings, showcasing better finishing and a greater ability to hold the ball. The end result: a 16-goal Bundesliga haul.

"He may have been our only consistent performer last season," remembered sporting director Michael Zorc. "A mixture of self-belief and hard work from the coaches and the player have made him. When he arrived in 2013, he had to find his place in our system. Especially with strikers, it often takes longer until their development is completed."

If Thomas Tuchel's close-season arrival as coach, with a philosophy based more on possession, suggested Aubameyang might have less scope to exploit his speed, that has not been a problem. He set a record by netting in each of his first eight top-flight games, and reached the winter break having scored 27 in 27 matches for BVB in all competitions, including 18 in 17 Bundesliga outings – one more than Gerd Müller had managed at the same stage in 1971/72, when he ended up with a seemingly unrepeatable tally of 40 for Bayern.

The 26-year-old's extravagance masks a fierce determination. "I am hugely impresssed with the way he gives everything to be the complete and perfect forward," said Tuchel of the Laval-born player. In summer 2014, Aubameyang set himself a target of 20 goals overall for the campaign and delivered. This term, he vowed 20 in the Bundesliga – mission almost accomplished. Becoming the all-time top scorer in a single Bundesliga season? "I know about Gerd Müller and his record," he said with a smile. No promises, but maybe. Just maybe.