Transfers
“I would like…” – Chelsea star makes feelings very clear over future amid Barcelona transfer stance
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed which club he wants to join this summer should he leave Chelsea.
The 33-year-old looks set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after just one season at the club following his arrival last summer from Barcelona.
Aubameyang has recorded just three goals from his 21 appearances after becoming an outcast under both Graham Potter and now interim Frank Lampard. The Gabon international was also removed from the club’s Champions League knockout squad to make room for some of the new January signings – Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk – to be registered.
Chelsea are set for a summer overhaul of their squad to reduce their bloated 31-man team, which has offered challenges throughout the 2022/23 campaign which is close to concluding, putting an end to a difficult and disappointing season for the Blues.
Aubameyang is likely to be one of those players to be leaving Chelsea and clubs have already started to express interest, however it is unlikely that a transfer fee will be offered as interested suitors eye a cheap deal.
But the former Arsenal striker has expressed his desire to return to Barcelona after he was captured discussing his future, which was posted on Tik Tok.
He admitted: “I would like to return to FC Barcelona, but we will see.”
Caretaker boss Frank Lampard selected him to start against Arsenal, which ended in a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates last week, after a bright 45 minute cameo versus Brentford. However, it was a dismal return to his old club in north London and he was substituted at half-time as a result.
Prior to the London derby, Lampard explained why Aubameyang has been largely snubbed since he has been in charge, admitting: “He couldn’t play the two Champions League games, he came on against Wolves in the second half and he came on against Brentford.
“I think probably more than any position on the pitch, to be sharp and firing and have consistency in your work is what makes top strikers. If you take them out of the team for a while, coming back with that lack of edge is very, very difficult.
“When I came in, it was clear that Auba hadn’t played, just in terms of he hasn’t had a lot of minutes this season and maybe even going back to last season, but it was also clear the level of player (that he is).
“It was good to see him come on against Brentford and look as he looked, and I still won’t put too much on him because he might still need that little bit of time. Maybe I, and we, haven’t got time for this season so much, but he is a high level striker.”