Chelsea are in talks to sign former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Aubameyang, who now plies his trade with FC Barcelona left the Gunners back in January this year after terminating his contract. The Arsenal outcast is now wanted by Chelsea, alongside his teammate Frenkie de Jong.
The Blue reportedly opened talks with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong at the start of this week, and have now taken the opportunity to negotiate for Aubameyang as well. Thomas Tuchel has requested the club sign a striker since they let go Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan on loan this summer. Chelsea are yet to sign his replacement and Tuchel feels Aubameyang, who he has already worked with at Borussia Dortmund is a perfect fit.
Aubameyang the solution to Chelsea’s ‘no.9 curse’?
Chelsea’s ‘no. 9′ curse has become a mind boggling reality after €100 million signing Lukaku failed to deliver form them. The Belgian had prior experience of the Premier League, scoring 96 goals in 207 appearances across stints with Manchester United and Everton. However, he netted just 8 goals for Chelsea in 25 league games last season.
On the other hand, Timo Werner who joined from RB Leipzig in 2020 has scored a mere 10 goals in 56 Premier League games so far. While academy striker Armando Broja gave Tuchel some hope after his dazzling loan spell at Southampton, he too could leave the club for regular minutes.
The club has therefore asked Barcelona for Aubameyang, who are ready to sell the player surplus to their needs. Tuchel knows Aubameyang from their Dortmund days where the striker scored a whopping 79 goals in just 95 games for the manager.
Fabrizio Romano, providing an update on the Blues’ links wrote, “Chelsea are now considering Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as potential new striker. Discussions have already started on player side, still no bid to Barcelona. He’s one of the names in Chelsea list after meeting for Sesko and other targets.”
As the journalist reports, Chelsea are in search of multiple options alongside Aubameyang. They have established contacts with RB Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko as well, who bagged 11 goals in 37 games last season across all competitions.
Aubameyang was signed by the Gunners in the winter market of 2018 for a massive fee of €65 million from Borussia Dortmund. The striker did justify his price tag as he went on to score 92 goals in just 163 appearances for the North Londoners, further racking up 21 assists.
Moreover, his 22 goals in the 2019/20 season saw him claim the Premier League golden boot for the top scorer. His 68 goals in the Premier League are a testimony to the fact that he can bring in the same at Stamford Bridge. Aubameyang left for the Catalans in January, where he quickly amassed 13 goals in 23 games.
The striker has a contract until the summer of 2025 with Barcelona, but the club could very well entertain offers for him given the arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. The Catalans need to clear heavy wages as well in order to register their whopping five signings till now from the summer market.