Barcelona hoping to re-sign ex-player on free transfer at end of season - Reports
Barcelona are reportedly willing to re-sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a free agent in the summer.
Aubameyang has fallen out of favour at Chelsea, with manager Graham Potter regularly picking Kai Havertz ahead of the Gabon international. As reported by the Evening Standard, the Blaugrana maintain a good relationship with Aubameyang and are willing to bring him back to the Camp Nou in the summer as a free agent.
Aubameyang might also have to take a pay cut to become a Barcelona player once again, as the cash-strapped club cannot afford to spend big on new arrivals.
Chelsea agreed to sell the former Borussia Dortmund striker to Major League Soccer (MLS) club LAFC in the winter. Aubameyang, though, refused to move, choosing to remain at the club at least till the end of the 2022-23 season. Apart from the Blaugrana, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid are also believed to be interested in the striker's services.
Barcelona sold Aubameyang to Chelsea for €12 million last summer, six months after signing him as a free agent. Since moving to west London, Aubameyang has featured in 18 games across competitions, scoring only thrice.
After failing to make Potter’s squad for Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday (March 18), Aubameyang watched El Clasico at the Camp Nou on Sunday. He also joined his former club in the dressing room as they celebrated their 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.
Before being sold to the Pensioners, Aubameyang played 24 games for the La Liga giants, scoring 13 times.
Barcelona star Sergi Roberto slams PSG fans for mistreating Lionel Messi
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi was booed before Paris Saint-Germain lost 2-0 to Rennes at the Parc des Princes on Sunday (March 19).
As the commentator read Messi’s name aloud, a section of PSG fans showed their discontent by booing him. The jeers came after the Argentine cut a frustrating figure in PSG’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 elimination to Bayern Munich.
Barca ace Roberto was not pleased with PSG fans’ treatment of Messi and said that the Argentine has been more than pulling his weight. Roberto told Jijantes FC:
“You can’t understand why; he is having good seasons in Paris, scoring a lot of goals, assisting. They’ve taken it out on him because of the elimination (from the Champions League), but he’s a spectacular player, and it’s very bad that a player of this level is treated in this way.”
He also claimed that Barcelona would not treat him that way if Messi came back. Roberto added:
“We’re going to treat him very well here if he comes.”
Since joining PSG, Messi has played 14 Champions League games, scoring nine times and providing four assists. None of his goal contributions have come in the knockouts, though.