Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reportedly wants to stay at Barcelona this summer amid interest from Chelsea, but we all know that means little for La Liga.
The best example of this has been their treatment of Frenkie de Jong, who reportedly wants to stay at the club, but Barca are looking to get him out unless he takes a nearly 50% pay cut %.
Although the Catalan giants continue to buy players in the transfer market with Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde joining this summer.
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Transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano insisted earlier this week that Chelsea were “considering” a move for former Arsenal forward Aubameyang as they continue their search for a striker.
And it was good news for Chelsea yesterday with a “desperate” Barcelona “willing to offload” Aubameyang in a bid to “balance the books” at the club.
However, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo now claim that the Gabonese international “has no intention of leaving” Barcelona this summer and wants to stay at the club until the end of his contract in 2025.
Aubameyang is ‘very happy’ at Barcelona with the report adding that the 33-year-old ‘fought for four years to be able to get to Barca and now, when he feels comfortable and important within the project, he is not ready. to change’.
Chelsea “wanted to make sure the striker would be willing to change things” before deciding to negotiate with the La Liga outfit, but that is something they are “not willing to do”.
Aubameyang is “willing to compete” with Lewandowki for a starting position next season as “he is in very good harmony with the whole dressing room”.
Barca coach Xavi wants Aubameyang “for his project” and believes his stay would give his team “two of the most powerful strikers” in Europe, but it remains to be seen if the Barca hierarchy feel the same way.
Aubameyang left Arsenal at the start of February and joined Barcelona on a free transfer after the Premier League club terminated his contract.
He was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy by Mikel Arteta earlier this season after a “disciplinary issue” saw him fall out of favour.
The forward got off to a flying start for Barcelona, scoring 11 goals in 17 La Liga appearances last season and it’s not hard to see why Xavi would want to keep him.