Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be the subject of a decision by Chelsea this week on whether to pursue a transfer or concentrate on other prospects.
In recent weeks, the Barcelona forward has been linked to the Blues as Thomas Tuchel looks to improve his attacking options before the transfer market closes on September 1.
Raheem Sterling was acquired by Chelsea from Manchester City this summer, while Romelu Lukaku was returned to Inter on loan following his unsuccessful return to Stamford Bridge last season.
Due to the imminent return of Timo Werner to RB Leipzig and the loan availability of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tuchel is lacking options at the top of the pitch.
Tuchel and the Chelsea management are giving Aubameyang serious consideration.
Barcelona may fire the Gabon-born player who assisted Tuchel while they were teammates at Borussia Dortmund.
Robert Lewandowski was signed by the Blaugrana to serve as their primary center-forward this season, which may limit Aubameyang’s playing time.
Barcelona must choose between allowing the former Arsenal player to leave and approving Memphis Depay’s departure.
If Chelsea make it plain that they are willing to negotiate a deal for Aubameyang, it might aid the La Liga heavyweights in making a choice.
The 33-year-old, who has long desired to play in La Liga, might put up a fight to remain at Barcelona after only six months with the team.
According to reports, Xavi Hernandez wants to hang onto Aubameyang because of the excellent influence he had after joining the club from Arsenal in January.
However, a lot will rely on Barcelona’s financial predicament as the team scrambles to acquire new players before the start of the La Liga season this weekend.
Chelsea will play host to Tottenham on Sunday in a crucial London derby after defeating Everton 1-0 on the opening weekend.
Why is Tuchel interested in Aubameyang?
The interest Chelsea has shown in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona may not be as panicked as it initially seemed, according to remarks made by Tuchel Tuchel about the forward last year.
After allowing Romelu Lukaku to depart on loan, the Blues are in dire need of some firepower up front, and with Timo Werner certain to follow him out the door, a new striker is high on the club’s shopping list.
However, they have spent the majority of the summer window searching for defenders, and on Wednesday, links to Aubameyang appeared out of nowhere, but given Tuchel’s history with the 33-year-old, there may be a little logic to the seemingly random activity.
Despite having supervised Aubameyang for two seasons at Dortmund, Tuchel said he still maintained “a very good relationship” with the striker after Aubameyang’s captaincy of Arsenal was revoked last season.
The German tactician said: “We were really close, thus I believe he [Aubameyang] was a very important player for me. Even now, it’s always a pleasure to see each other. I only have positive things to say about Auba both as a player and a person.”
How will Aubameyang fit into Chelsea?
After allowing Romelu Lukaku to join Inter Milan on a season-long loan, the Blues are eager to sign a new striker this summer.
Aubameyang has also become a new target in the meanwhile.
The former Arsenal player only joined Barcelona in January, but now that the team has added Robert Lewandowski, the Gabonese international may be available for sale.
A former Chelsea defender Cundy thinks the 33-year-old, who has a ton of Premier League experience, might be a good addition to Thomas Tuchel’s team.
