Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
One of the fastest forwards in world football Aubameyang has a challenge for Bolt. Getty

KEY POINTS

  • Dortmund striker once recorded a sprint time faster than Bolt's world record.
  • Jamaican icon will train with the German club when he retires from athletics.

Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Usain Bolt at the club – so he can challenge the Jamaican superstar for the title of fastest man on the planet.

After joining Dortmund from French club Saint-Etienne in 2013, Aubamenyang wasted little time in impressing his new employers. During his first pre-season training camp, the then-24 year-old ran 30 meters in 3.7 seconds – almost a second faster than the time Bolt clocked over the same distance en route to setting a new world record sprint in the 100m final at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

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Aubamenyang has gone onto become one of the most feared strikers in Europe and currently sits top of the European Golden Shoe rankings, having scored 13 goals in 11 Bundesliga appearances this term.

With retirement from athletics beckoning, nine-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt is keen to pursue a new career in football and will join up with Dortmund to train with the German club when he brings the curtains down on his glittering track career.

But Aubameyang says there is a challenge over 30m waiting for the sprinting icon when he does arrive in Germany.

"I am waiting for you [Bolt]," Aubameyang told CNN. "I hope to see you one day, and let's do this challenge."

Unperturbed, Bolt said in response: "People are always trying to call me out. He knows I am going to win."

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Bolt revealed he has been "genuinely taking to people" about a career as a professional footballer when he leaves athletics.

Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt of Jamaica looks round as he crosses the line to win the men's 100m semifinals at the Rio 2016 Olympics Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Having confirmed those plans, Dortmund have been quick to insist the arrival of Bolt, likely to be next summer, is not just a publicity stunt.

"We decided this some time ago," Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Kicker. "For us, that's no problem. Our coach Thomas Tuchel likes the idea as well. Of course he won't visit us in an important week with Champions League matches, but maybe in the pre-season. We are delighted and take this as an honour."

The prospect of the fastest man on the planet swapping the athletics track for a football pitch has understandably created some buzz, with Puma doing their very best to fuel the hype by designing a pair of custom-made boots for the Olympic icon, emblazoned with the Bolt name and a Jamaican flag.