Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s transfer from Barcelona to Chelsea has started gaining momentum to the dismay of many football enthusiasts.
After Arsenal decided to end his contract, the 33-year-old joined Barca on a free transfer on January 31, 2022.
Aubameyang’s playing time at Camp Nou is threatened by the arrival of Robert Lewandowski this summer, and Barcelona is eager to get rid of some of their high-earning players to balance their payroll.
To increase Thomas Tuchel’s attacking options, Chelsea already acquired Raheem Sterling from Manchester City this summer. But that seems not to be enough, especially after the club’s record signing Romelu Lukaku returned to Inter Milan on loan.
Chelsea is reportedly mulling a deal for Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Aubameyang and Tuchel have already collaborated at Dortmund, and they enjoy a good working relationship from their time spent together in the Bundesliga.
During Frank Lampard’s tenure, Chelsea attempted to recruit Aubameyang in January 2020 but was turned off by the striker’s salary demands.
Aubameyang scored 92 goals in 163 games while at Arsenal, contributing to the team’s FA Cup victory in 2020.
But Mikel Arteta removed him as captain after a string of disciplinary troubles, making his final few months with the Gunners tumultuous.
Then, during the January transfer window, Aubameyang lobbied for a departure from Arsenal and succeeded in securing a move to Barcelona in the final week.
Both Chelsea and Barcelona have had a busy transfer window. The two teams have engaged in a bit of a tussle, with the Catalans managing to sign a few of Chelsea’s top targets.
Aubameyang has scored 13 goals in 23 games since joining Camp Nou, and in March, Xavi called the 33-year-old forward a “gift from heaven.”
Chelsea has reportedly already started speaking with Aubameyang, who has emerged as a viable possibility on their list of objectives to fill the striker position this summer, according to Romano.
Aubameyang responded, “I was excited because I know him well. We played together at Dortmund and had some wonderful experiences over there,” when questioned about Tuchel’s interest in him.
Salzburg’s Benjamin Sesko is also one of Chelsea’s top targets. However, the move would be challenging because the Slovenian has four years left on his contract in Austria.
Aubameyang would be a short-term, inexpensive purchase for the Blues, and he might also make it easier for them to negotiate with Barcelona, which is interested in Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso.
Chelsea hasn’t yet submitted any formal offers to Barcelona for the Gabonese attacker, though.
Lewandowski and Raphinha’s additions raised the issue of how Barcelona would arrange their sizable attacking squad.
Even if Aubameyang didn’t make a lot of money, his departure might ease that situation as well as financial concerns.
The 33-year-old’s signing might be crucial to both teams’ intentions for the upcoming transfer window.
