Aubameyang’s Chelsea exit and Barcelona return could depend on this deal

After Romelu Lukaku’s rather abrupt second spell at the Bridge, the Blues had to look into the market for a striker who could fill in the void. And Former Chelsea Head Coach Thomas Tuchel intended on reuniting with his one of his very own from the Borussia Dortmund camp.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the Gunners for the Catalan Giants Barcelona in the winter of 2022. He was registered for the 2022-23 season and made one appearance, however, the Culers didn’t get to watch more of him as his spell was cut short by the West Londoners.

Todd Boehly and his team wanted a revamp at the club and were willing to spend big over the first season itself. It was evident that Chels’ would need a striker as Armando Broja was the only available option who hasn’t had enough Premier League experience under his belt to warrant a starting role.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doesn’t have a future at Chelsea

On learning that the Deutscher Maestro appreciates his former player, the Blues didn’t mind shelling out a fee of around €12.5M. A deal for Aubameyang was negotiated and although the fans were split on this signing, they were eager to watch what the Gabonese has to offer.

But sadly, Aubameyang’s start to life at Chelsea didn’t go as planned, Thomas Tuchel was sacked. Graham Potter assessed his options and preferred Kai Havertz over the 33 year old whose role  diminished to that of a fringe player.

This led to Aubameyang wanting out and he was successful in generating sufficient interest from Atletico Madrid and AC Milan. However FIFA regulations weren’t helping and the clubs had to pull out of this deal. Leaving FC Barcelona as the only option for him to exit, who did consider signing him but eventually focused on strengthening other areas of their squad.

The situation worsened after the transfer deadline passed. Chelsea has to register their new signings, as Aubameyang was asked to sacrifice his spot. This made it evident that Gabonese International was not a part of Potter’s plans.

Later on, he was offered a loan move away to Los Angeles in America to LAFC where CFC would be covering the entire salary. However, Aubameyang snubbed the offer and chose to continue to fight for minutes at the Bridge.

Reports over the past month suggested that Barcelona have been considering a move for the Chelsea no. 9 in the summer which helps both parties as CFC desperately need to trim their squad size and Barca need a player who could serve as backup to Robert Lewandowski.

However as per the very reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano,

"Barcelona priority target as new back up striker remains Vitor Roque, as Brazilian gem is considered potential future top player.FCB Pierre Aubameyang, appreciated and in list since January — option could be activated if Roque deal collapses. He’d love to join Barça."

The Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque has been appreciated by Barcelona for weeks. However, Arsenal seem to be leading the race to sign the 18 year old after escalating talks recently. And if it everything goes to plan, Roque will head to North London this summer.

But if the Spanish Giants manage to beat the Gunners for his signature, Aubameyang would yet again be left staring in the face of uncertainty and might have to compromise when choosing his next club.

Will Aubameyang successfully return to FC Barcelona?