Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is reportedly seeking a free transfer from Chelsea to Barcelona, despite the London club’s reluctance to lose their £12m investment.

• Aubameyang is in negotiations to terminate his Chelsea contract and rejoin Barcelona for free
• Chelsea are unwilling to let him go without compensation, having paid £12m for him previously
• The Gabonese striker has rejected interest from Inter Milan and Juventus, awaiting confirmation from Barcelona

 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is reportedly in negotiations to leave Chelsea for Barcelona on a free transfer, despite the London club’s reluctance to let him go without financial compensation.

The Gabonese striker, who previously enjoyed a successful spell at Barcelona, was sold to Chelsea for £12m before the Catalan club expressed their interest in re-signing him for free.

Aubameyang is said to have been in contact with Barcelona teammates and manager Xavi, making clear his desire to return to the club and play as a backup striker to Robert Lewandowski.

The 32-year-old is reportedly willing to adjust his salary to fit within Barcelona’s financial constraints, but Chelsea are not keen on losing their £12m investment.

Despite the London club’s efforts to offload Aubameyang to other European clubs via loan deals or low-cost transfers, the striker has his sights set on a return to Barcelona.

Interest from Inter Milan and Juventus has been rejected, as Aubameyang awaits confirmation of a potential move to the Spanish side.

In March 2022, Xavi hailed Aubameyang’s free signing from Arsenal as a “gift fallen from the sky” and praised his impact on the team, both on and off the pitch.

The Gabonese forward has scored 13 goals in 24 games with the Catalan giants, proving to be an influential figure in their attacking line-up.

With Chelsea, he has scored three in 21.