Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang offers blunt response amid rumors of Chelsea move
Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has refused to comment on his future at Camp Nou amidst rumors of Chelsea pursuing his signature.
The Gabon international left Arsenal in January after his contract was terminated at the Emirates. Aubameyang would then sign for Barcelona and go on to have an impressive season where he scored 13 goals in 23 games across all competitions.
However, the arrivals of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, coupled with Ousmane Dembele's contract extension, have seen the Gabon striker fall down the pecking order at Barca.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are on the lookout for a center-forward and manager Thomas Tuchel has earmarked the Barca striker as a priority target this summer. The two teams are believed to be in talks regarding a potential move for Aubameyang in the coming weeks.
Aubameyang 19'
Relive yesterday's #EmiratesFACup semi-final action...⚽️ Aubameyang 19'
⚽️ Aubameyang 71'
📺 Relive yesterday's #EmiratesFACup semi-final action... https://t.co/fGC8k5jYlA
However, the former Borussia Dortmund striker kept his cards close to his chest when asked about his future at Barcelona. Speaking on Spanish TV station Jugones (h/t Football.London), he claimed:
"My future? I have nothing to say."
The forward does not have a lot of time left in his playing career and could be on the lookout for regular playing time. He could struggle to get that under manager Xavi Hernandez, who has found a new leader of the line in Lewandowski.
Aubameyang was left out of the La Liga giants' starting XI in their opening La Liga game of the season against Rayo Vallecano. He came on in the place of Jordi Alba with eight minutes of regulation time left.
It remains to be seen if the 2015 'African Footballer of the Year' will be as keen as Tuchel to stage a reunion at Stamford Bridge. Aubameyang previously played under the German manager for the Westfalenstadion outfit between 2017 and 2018.
Chelsea would be smart to sign the Barcelona striker this summer
The Blues can offer Aubameyang something that Barca cannot - a starting position in their attack. Romelu Lukaku has left west London to return to Inter Milan on a season-long loan deal while Timo Werner is back at RB Leipzig on a permanent basis.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang just keeps scoring for Barcelona 🔥 https://t.co/HtLGW0Hm1J
Armando Broja is perhaps the only out-and-out centre-forward at Tuchel's disposal. The Albania international lacks first-team experience in Chelsea colors, having only ever made three appearances for their senior team - all as a substitute.
In this regard, Aubameyang could be the striker to solve Tuchel's selection headache up front, at least in the short term. The Barcelona centre-forward has considerable experience of playing in England, having scored 92 goals in 163 games across all competitions for Arsenal during his stay in north London.