Chelsea plan to hold fresh talks with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s camp this week before considering a formal bid for his services, Fabrizio Romano reports.
The west London giants are eager to bring in a new centre-forward before the transfer deadline, and Aubameyang has emerged as the top target for manager Thomas Tuchel.
According to Romano, the Blues are now planning a fresh round of talks with Aubameyang’s camp this week with owner Todd Boehly wanting to know the demands of the player.
If the talks are positive, Chelsea could proceed to make an official bid. Barcelona want £25 million for the former Arsenal man, though manager Xavi prefers to keep him at the club.
Our view:
Aubameyang joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Arsenal in February this year. He was superb for them during the back end of the season with 13 goals and one assist from 23 games.
Despite his efforts, the Catalan giants chose to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. The Poland international is now clearly the first-choice striker ahead of the Gabon star.
This could urge the 33-year-old to consider a fresh challenge. Chelsea look an ideal club for him. Aubameyang knows Tuchel from his time at Borussia Dortmund while he is familiar to the league.
He was a leading player for his former club Arsenal. At Chelsea, he has the chance to return to familiar surroundings in London, and may not need much time to make an impact for the Blues.
After the Raphinha saga earlier this summer, Chelsea appear keen on sorting personal terms with Aubameyang first. The London giants should be able to meet his high wage demands for the transfer.
The only concern could be the price tag for the move. Barcelona are aiming to take full advantage of Chelsea with their valuation, and it remains to be seen whether the Blues can lower the final sum.
Barcelona are known to be interested in signing Marcos Alonso, and there could be the possibility of the Spaniard being used as a makeweight by Chelsea to lower the final fee for Aubameyang.
