Chelsea to Sign Aubameyang, Send Alonso to Barcelona
After a lengthy negotiation, Chelsea and Barcelona have finally agreed to a deal in principle that will send Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back to London, with Marcos Alonso heading to Barcelona, according to Fabrizio Romano of The Guardian.
In addition to the Spanish wing-back, Barca will also receive €14 million from the Blues, Romano adds.
Aubameyang has accepted a two-year contract that includes an option for an additional season, sources told James Olley of ESPN. The option is based on the number of appearances he makes for Chelsea during the 2023-24 campaign, Olley notes.
Aubameyang, 33, arrived in London on Thursday afternoon to complete his medicals ahead of the transfer window closing at 6 p.m. ET.
The former Arsenal captain sustained a broken jaw during an armed robbery at his home in Spain earlier this week and is expected to be sidelined for roughly three weeks. That harrowing incident, and the accompanying injury, aren’t expected to prove prohibitive to the transfer, according to Olley.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who has been vocal about his team’s need to make significant improvements after a patchy start to the new season, is believed to be the catalyst behind the club’s pursuit of Aubameyang. The pair worked together and enjoyed success at Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea, who have focused primarily on bolstering their backline during a summer of lavish spending, lost both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner; the pair rejoined former clubs Inter Milan and RB Leipzig, respectively.
With Raheem Sterling still acclimating to his new team and others around him struggling thus far, the Blues have scored only six goals through five Premier League matches.
🎥 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arriving for his Chelsea medical
"I'm back." 😬 pic.twitter.com/G1tluwAMXw
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 1, 2022
