(Football news) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seems to be edging closer to a move to Chelsea. According to Spanish reports, Chelsea will bid €19 million plus €5m in variables for the former Arsenal man and also plan to double his salary. Fabrizio Romano on his twitter stated that there were “very positive” talks but warned that Chelsea won’t go as high as €30m for the Gabon striker.
It does seem that Aubameyang is heading out of Barcelona after just eight months at the club. Xavi said at his press conference before the Rayo Vallecano game that he wanted him to stay but it looks as though Barca’s financial issues mean the coach will have to bid adieu to the striker. Barcelona are still looking to register Jules Kounde and also want to bring in Marcos Alonso, which could be possible if both Aubameyang and Memphis Depay leave. Since his move to Barca, Aubameyang has scored 13 goals in 24 games for the Catalan club, but it’s not a huge surprise to see him go since they have already signed Robert Lewandowski.
The arrival of Robert Lewandowski meant that it pushed him out of the team, and the chance to make a decent profit on a 33-year-old is surely a good opportunity for Barcelona, given their current financial situation. Barça have shown no desire to accept a swap deal as they favour a direct cash payment. The personal agreement between Chelsea and Aubameyang shouldn’t be a problem as talks are going well. The player is happy to move to Stamford Bridge, knowing that he may even double his salary. If Barcelona make an effort to keep him at the club, then he will most likely stay but that is not the case.
Meanwhile, Depay on the other hand is closing in on a move to Juventus. His agreement with the Italian outfit needs some final touches before the transfer can be officially announced by the two parties. Barcelona will not stress about the departure of Memphis, who has fallen out of favour since the start of the year. The addition of Robert Lewandowski was the final nail in the coffin as Xavi asked him to find a new club ahead of the new season. However, even if Barcelona are able to offload Depay, it will not be enough for them to register Jules Kounde. Hence, the club needs to sell both strikers.
Also read: Casemiro's leaves behind a legendary legacy at Real Madrid
