Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined Olympique de Marseille on a three-year deal, leaving Chelsea on a free transfer.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on May 02, 2023. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on May 02, 2023. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has agreed to return to Ligue 1 with Olympique de Marseille, signing a deal to June 2026.

Chelsea let Aubameyang leave for free, and he arrived in Marseille on Wednesday before holding his medical on Thursday.

The Blues signed Aubameyang for £12m less than a year ago, but they’re now letting him go for nothing.

Aubameyang had reportedly attracted interest from the MLS and Saudi Arabia, but he opted to stay in Europe and return to France.

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Chelsea's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang attends a team training session at Chelsea's Cobham training facility in Stoke D'Abernon, southwest of London on March 6, 2023 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match against Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang attends a team training session at Chelsea’s Cobham training facility in Stoke D’Abernon, southwest of London on March 6, 2023, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match against Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

The 34-year-old striker last played in France for Saint-Etienne back in 2013, before his move to Germany with Dortmund.

That spell with Saint-Etienne brought Aubameyang’s first-ever trophy, the Coupe de la Ligue in 2012/13, and he’ll now hope to go one further by winning the Ligue 1 title with Marseille.

Paris Saint-Germain remain the dominant force in France, but Marseille haven’t been far off in recent years.

They finished second and 15 points off the leaders in 2021/22, then dropped to third but rose to 12 points off the top in 2022/23.

Chelsea's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang waves to supporters as celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Chelsea and AC Milan at Stamford Bridge in London on October 5, 2022. - Chelsea won 3 - 0 against AC Milan. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang waves to supporters as celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Chelsea and AC Milan at Stamford Bridge in London on October 5, 2022. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

That third-place finish has Marseille in the Champions League qualifiers this season. If they can win their qualification tie, they might yet get a match-up with Arsenal in the group stage.

Chelsea released a statement on Aubameyang’s departure stating: “We would like to thank Pierre and wish him well as he begins the next chapter of his career.”

After scoring 92 goals, with 21 assists for Arsenal (goal or assist every 1.44 games), Aubameyang only managed three goals and one assist in 21 games for Chelsea.

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