Chelsea forward ‘crazy’ about securing transfer to European powerhouse, with one obstacle left for move
A Chelsea attacker is desperate about leaving Stamford Bridge for one of Europe’s most illustrious clubs, but the decision ultimately rests with Blues chairman Todd Boehly, according to a report.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter has plenty of forwards to choose from in his squad. At centre-forward he can select Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or David Datro Fofana, while Armando Broja has been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.
In the positions behind the main striker, the likes of Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount, Noni Madueke and Hakim Ziyech are available to Potter.
The coach simply cannot keep all of these top stars happy at once and therefore Chelsea must engineer a clear-out in the summer.
Mount could leave for Liverpool as he is yet to pen a new Chelsea contract due to a disagreement over salary. With Mount’s current deal expiring in June 2024, Liverpool could pick him up for a reduced price.
Ziyech will likely push for a move to Paris Saint-Germain. He was close to joining them on January 31, only for the transfer to fall through as Chelsea repeatedly sent the wrong paperwork.
USA winger Pulisic is expected to be sold by Chelsea as well. He has been linked with Newcastle United as well as Italian outfit Napoli.
Then there is Aubameyang. The former Arsenal man returned to the Premier League last summer by joining Chelsea for €12million. The move saw him reunite with Thomas Tuchel, who was his manager at Borussia Dortmund.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang enduring torrid Chelsea spell
However, Aubameyang played just once under Tuchel before the German was axed and replaced by Potter.
Aubameyang has not looked himself in a Chelsea shirt, scoring just three times in 18 appearances so far. He is struggling to get into Potter’s starting eleven due to the fierce competition for places and has even been left out of their Champions League squad.
The forward has left Chelsea officials frustrated by travelling to Barcelona and celebrating with Xavi’s squad after their recent El Clasico victory over Real Madrid.
And according to Spanish outlet AS, Aubameyang is ‘crazy’ about returning to the Spanish giants.
He is ‘willing to make a huge effort’ to rejoin the club. The report does not reveal exactly what this means, but presumably he is happy to take a pay cut amid Barca’s financial problems.
The only obstacle for Aubameyang at this point is Boehly. Barca will only sign him on a free transfer as they want to save money to improve other positions as well.
With Aubameyang’s Chelsea contract running until next summer, it is now down to Boehly to end his deal a year early so he can move back to the Camp Nou.
It would not come as a surprise if Boehly sanctioned this, given how poor the 33-year-old has been in a Chelsea shirt.
He was looking to prove Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wrong after his acrimonious exit from the Emirates in January 2022.
But Aubameyang has done little to impress during his second spell in England. He looks like he has lost a yard of pace, as well as pretty much all of his confidence.
Aubameyang will certainly not go down as one of the best signings of the Boehly era.
Meanwhile, TEAMtalk understands Newcastle have emerged as serious suitors to land a big name from Chelsea.
The article Chelsea forward ‘crazy’ about securing transfer to European powerhouse, with one obstacle left for move appeared first on Teamtalk.com.
