Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reportedly become a late priority target for Barcelona, with talks at an advanced stage.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s interest in Alvaro Morata has officially cooled, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang becoming their late priority option. The Catalan giants are in advanced talks to sign the beleaguered Arsenal star but will only be able to register him if Ousmane Dembele departs Camp Nou.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and took no time to establish himself as a pivotal figure for the Gunners. And the Gabonese forward’s stock constantly grew in his first two years at the Emirates, finishing his first full campaign by sharing the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane and becoming the club captain soon after.
But the 32-year-old’s stock has been declining since Mikel Arteta’s first full season as the Arsenal boss, with things going from bad to worse in the ongoing campaign. Aubameyang’s poor record of four goals in 14 Premier League appearances was already appalling, and some of his disciplinary indiscretions have not helped matters much either.
But despite his woes at Arsenal, there is no shortage of suitors for the former Arsenal striker, who has been banished from the first-team picture by Arteta while being stripped of the club captaincy. Clubs like Juventus, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain have shown an interest in him, with Barcelona also keen on signing him.
Barcelona had been prioritising the addition of Alvaro Morata in the ongoing transfer window but have been unable to secure his services due to the many hindrances put in place by Juventus and Atletico Madrid. Even though talks had reached an advanced stage, the Catalan giants have been forced to cease their pursuit of the Spanish striker.
Aubameyang has now become the new priority option for Barcelona, with the Blaugrana moving quickly to land the beleaguered Arsenal star. The Gunners are unlikely to stand in the 32-year-old’s way, although it is fair to assume that they will not let him leave without having their demands met by Barcelona.
The La Liga heavyweights are currently in advanced talks to sign Aubameyang, but they will first need to offload Ousmane Dembele to be able to register the former Arsenal captain. That might prove to be a tricky proposition, with only a couple of days left for the transfer window to shut down. Aubameyang’s proposed move to Barcelona thus hangs in the balance as things stand.
why can’t they swap and decide who tops who