Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang the Premier League's best striker... and can also play in goal, says Bernd Leno

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Matt Davies14 May 2020

Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno believes captain Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang is the best striker in the Premier League, adding the forward has a surprising secondary skill.

Both Leno and Aubameyang have impressed since arriving from the Bundesliga in 2018, the pair completing moves from Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Aubameyang was renowned for his prolific goalscoring in Germany, and the forward has continued to shine since making his move to England, scoring 61 goals in 97 games in all competitions.

Leno admits playing against the fearsome forward was never pleasant, and is now much happier playing alongside Aubameyang.

"It was always very hard to play against Auba! In Germany, like in England, he was the best striker in the league with Lewandowski," Leno told Arsenal's official website in a Q&A.

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

"Every time he scored a lot of goals and sometimes against me as well. It was very hard to play against him. But I'm very happy that he's now on my team and that the other keepers are in the bad position I was in!

"I think he's the best striker in the Premier League - I'm so happy he's our captain."

Aubameyang's goalscoring talents are there for everyone to see, but Leno insists the forward also has a knack for stopping goals, the goalkeeper impressed by what he's seen in training.

Asked which outfield player would be the best goalkeeper, Leno said: "I think it's Auba! I don't really know about his quality as a goalkeeper - I don't know who could be the best - but I saw that many times Auba would make some good saves after training in free-kick challenges.

"He was flying very well. I was very impressed and he could be a good choice if I got a red card and we made three changes already!

"If I wasn't a goalkeeper, I would play as a centre-back. First of all, I don't like running! At centre-back, you don't run as much as anyone else. I also like to challenge, to tackle and I think that this position suits me because I'm a bit taller like a defender."

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