Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia was key to Arsenal signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.

The 30-year-old joined the Gunners for a club-record £56million in January 2018, but his move from BVB proved to be problematic for the North Londoners.

Former Arsenal transfers chief Dick Law told Goal: "The Aubameyang deal was crazy because Giroud wanted out.

"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."