Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prefers a move to Chelsea despite interest from Manchester United, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano claims.
Aubameyang joined the Catalan giants on a free transfer from Arsenal in February this year, but he could leave this summer after their decision to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich.
Manchester United recently made an approach for his services to Barcelona, but speaking to Caught Offside, Romano has revealed that Aubameyang prefers a move to Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The Gabon star wants to play Champions League football and has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea. It remains to be seen whether the Blues meet the Blaugrana’s valuation.
Our view:
Chelsea recently made a proposal of £15 million plus Marcos Alonso which was rejected by Barcelona. The Spanish outfit want a fixed fee of around £20m to part ways with Aubameyang.
The onus is now on Chelsea to meet their demands. Barcelona recently registered Jules Kounde with LaLiga, and they no longer face the compulsion to sell anyone to recoup funds.
The Blues are running out of time with the transfer window closing on Thursday, but we believe they will end up paying the fee for Aubameyang, who is Tuchel’s preferred striker target.
Aubameyang previously worked under him at Borussia Dortmund for a couple of years, and a reunion at Stamford Bridge could be the best solution for the player as well as the club.
The 33-year-old would be guaranteed a starting spot up front, considering the struggles of Kai Havertz while Chelsea will get a player that has a sublime scoring record in the Premier League.
Aubameyang amassed 68 goals and 16 assists from just 128 league appearances for Arsenal. He could make an instant impact with the move to Chelsea due to his vast familiarity with the league.
Chelsea have already spent £180m on new signings and their spending spree could go beyond £300m. They are on the cusp of landing Wesley Fofana for £75m. Aubameyang and Anthony Gordon remain top targets.
