Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will put an end to his short spell at Barcelona by making a move back to the Premier League this summer.
What’s the word?
That is according to journalist Luke Edwards, via BBC Sport, who claims the Gabon international will make the move to Chelsea, despite the report suggesting that Barcelona had already turned down a £12m bid.
Speaking on the Transfer Gossip Daily podcast, Edwards said (via BBC Sport):
“I think he’s going to end up at Chelsea.
“Aubameyang is a player they need. They desperately need a central striker and we saw that against Tottenham. Although he’s 33 I think Aubameyang would be really good for them.
“This will run and run. Barcelona need to offload players and trim the wage bill down so I think when push comes to shove, Aubameyang will be shoved out of the door at Barcelona. They signed Lewandowski this summer, they don’t want Aubameyang. He is going to want all the financial trimmings that come with it and that is a signing that makes a lot of sense for Chelsea.”
A huge claim
Edwards’ claim, whilst bold, is also an accurate summary of the scenario that Barcelona face. Having just signed Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich, Barcelona will be open to allowing Aubameyang to leave, with Barcelona looking to recoup upwards of £20million in order to recoup some of the funds that were used to sign Lewandowski from Bayern Munich.
Despite limited appearances for Arsenal across the first half of the season, Aubameyang has reignited his career during his short spell at Barcelona, having scored 11 goals in 17 La Liga appearances.
£80k-per-week Aubameyang, who has been dubbed “electric” by Goal correspondent Charles Watts, is said to have a strong relationship with Thomas Tuchel spanning back to the pair’s Borussia Dortmund days, and with Chelsea looking for a reliable target man to lead the line, a move for the Premier League proven striker seems like a no-brainer.
If Edwards is indeed correct in his statement, it will be a productive move for all involved.
