Ex-Barcelona and Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang becomes Europa League's all-time top goalscorer
Former Barcelona and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has become the top scorer in Europa League history with 30 goals. He is currently sharing this record with Colombian legend Radamel Falcao, who plays for Rayo Vallecano.
Aubameyang hit the milestone by scoring the first goal of the game against Shakhtar, which eventually ended in a 2-2 draw. With Marseille set to play the second leg against the Ukrainian side, Aubameyang has a good chance of breaking Falcao's record.
The Gabon captain scored eight Europa goals for Borussia Dortmund, 14 for Arsenal, two for Barcelona, and now, six for Marseille this season, where he has shone. Although the French club have not met expectations, as they sit in eighth place on the table, he has helped their cause with six goals and seven assists in the league.
His impressive performances for Marseille come after a few years of struggles in the European top flight. He was notably stripped of his captaincy at Arsenal, before leaving the club for free and moving to Barcelona, where he enjoyed a run of goalscoring form for half a season.
However, he returned to the Premier League to play for Chelsea under his former Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel. The German tactician soon lost his job at Stamford Bridge, and Aubameyang quickly slumped down the pecking order. He also failed to find any goalscoring form with the Blues, scoring just thrice in 21 games.
Barcelona plan to boost forward line with Arsenal target in mind
Barcelona aim to make their forward line stronger by focusing on the left wing in the next summer transfer window. According to Mundo Deportivo (via Football Espana), they have several targets, including Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, but he might be too expensive for them.
However, they also see Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli as a perfect fit. The 22-year-old can shine at Camp Nou, having scored 40 goals and provided 22 assists in 158 games for the Gunners. However, getting him won't be easy because the Gunners do not need to sell him and his contract runs until 2027.
Another player they have on their radar is Napoli talent Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli. However, the attacker, who helped Partenopei win Serie A last season, also has a contract until 2027, making him a tough get just like Martinelli.