The FC crew grade Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich and struggling Borussia Dortmund in the first half of the season.
Borussia Dortmund president Reinhard Rauball has said the club did not block a move for star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, adding that the player was "mentally crushed by the offers."
Aubameyang, 28, was tipped to leave Dortmund in the summer, with the club prepared to allow the league's top scorer to move for a fee in the region of €70 million.
However, a transfer to AC Milan fell through after BVB felt Milan lacked "respect" towards the club in their pursuit of the striker, while a switch to China also failed to materialise.
Speaking to kicker, Rauball said: "For many years now, he has put in great performances for the club and also became the league's top scorer.
"Auba is pleasant, has humour, he smiles. If you know the numbers, you need to understand that, at one point, he was mentally crushed by the offers.
"That he's not earning those sums today is not because we blocked his move, but it's down to the behaviour of clubs, and sometimes also the associations, who played a role in it.
"Aubameyang, to me, is a player who has played an influential role in our rise. He's one of the cornerstones of our success."
This season, Aubameyang has scored 13 goals in 15 matches and, with a total of 98 league goals, is closing in on a Bundesliga century.
But he was suspended for one match by former head coach Peter Bosz earlier in the campaign and has been linked with a winter move.
This month, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said Gabon international Aubameyang had extended his contract until 2021 late last year.
He had been previously been under contract until 2020.
Stephan Uersfeld is the Germany correspondent for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @uersfeld.
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Source: espn.co.uk