Chelsea are ready to sell wantaway striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the summer after the Gabonese decided against moving to the MLS.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea will sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the summer. The 33-year-old, £170,000-a-week attacker does not have a future at Stamford Bridge. He also rejected a move to MLS recently, but the Blues intend to find a solution in the next window.
Chelsea embarked on a relentless pursuit of young talent in the January transfer window, spending close to £300 million. They signed various attackers, including Mykhaylo Mudryk, David Fofana, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix.
The arrival of Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid was a major coup. Graham Potter could tactically consider the Portuguese attacker in a false-nine role for the remainder of the season. If the experiment succeeds, Chelsea could look towards signing him permanently.
The arrival of all those forwards has rendered Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang surplus to requirements. Chelsea omitted the striker from their UEFA Champions League squad. That hinted that the Gabonese no longer has a future at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter has insisted the 33-year-old has a future at the club. But Chelsea’s willingness to allow him out on loan to LAFC clarified their preference. The MLS club courted Aubameyang, but he stayed at Stamford Bridge to fight for his place.
The £170,000-a-week attacker has not started a game for Chelsea since their defeat to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. He has scored only three times this season since arriving in the summer. Aubameyang still has a contract until 2024.
It has been a strange twelve months for the striker, who joined Barcelona in February 2022 on a free transfer. The Blaugrana decided to cash in on him and make a decent profit when Chelsea came up with a bid in the summer. Barcelona were reportedly interested in re-signing him again, while the Blues could not sell him to other clubs owing to FIFA rules.
Now that Chelsea will have to keep the forward for the remainder of the season, they will look to sell him in the summer. The club are confident of finding a solution in the next window. In particular, they want to get his £170,000-a-week wages off their books.
Aubameyang may have rejected the move to the MLS thinking he might have another chance at a European clubs. There could be a few keen on taking the forward on a short-term deal, but his wages may become a hindrance.
The striker will remain at Stamford Bridge and hope for regular game time. In truth, Chelsea have a host of new attackers that Potter will look to bring together. The chances of Aubameyang playing could become more common off the bench than anything else.
