Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, with Marcos Alonso heading the other way.
According to Fabrizio Romano, an agreement has been reached between FC Barcelona and Chelsea for Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who will sign a two-year contract with the option for a further year depending on his appearances based on the second year of the deal.
In addition, Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso will join Barcelona, who will receive €14 million for the entire operation. The 33-year-old will now travel to London to complete his move to the west London club, but he needs to wait for a while before making his debut for the Blues.
The former Arsenal captain suffered a broken jaw during a home invasion as he fought with the burglars while trying to keep his family away from any kind of harm. And Aubameyang is now expected to be on the sidelines for a few weeks.
Chelsea had initially offered to the tune of €7.5 million for the player alongside the service of Marcos Alonso, who will be moving in the opposite direction. Both the Blues and Barcelona are trying to seal all the loose ends before making the deal official, with Aubameyang’s stay in Barcelona set for an amicable ending as it seems.
?? Pierre Aubameyang to Chelsea and Marcos Alonso to Barça: here we go! Full agreement completed. €14m fee to Barcelona. #DeadlineDay
More: Aubameyang will fly to London around 5pm! Two year deal + one more option.
Alonso in Spain to undergo medical and sign three year deal. pic.twitter.com/nILbmEk8G8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2022
Chelsea’s lack of creativity in the final third this season forced them to dip heavily in the transfer market for a short-term fix, and the Barcelona striker fits the bill perfectly. Despite playing just 23 matches last season following his much-hyped transfer from Arsenal, Aubameyang netted 13 goals across all competitions to finish as their top scorer, which speak volumes about his lethal quality.
Barcelona are pushing to let Jordi Alba leave the club to accommodate Marcos Alonso as Alba’s inability to find a suitor before the deadline could jeopardize their future plans. Chelsea are aware of Aubameyang’s injury and will allow the player to heal completely, and the player can start non-contact training in a few days from now on.
The Blues will take up all the necessary methods to make the Barcelona striker available on the pitch as soon as possible, and it is believed the player might undergo surgery as it would be the quickest way to deal with this jaw injury.