Ex-Chelsea attacker offered himself to Barcelona last summer, Catalans’ reason for rejection comes to light: Reports
According to Diario Sport, Barcelona declined the opportunity to re-sign Pierre Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer last summer as they felt their squad did not need another striker.
The former Chelsea striker reportedly offered himself to the Catalonian giants as a free agent during the transfer window. Aubameyang previously had a brief stint at Barcelona in 2022. He made 24 appearances for the side, scoring 13 goals and providing one assist.
However, after Robert Lewandowski joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in the 2022 summer transfer window, Aubameyang was sold to Chelsea for a reported €12 million fee.
According to reports, Chelsea had signed the Gabonese striker at the behest of their then-manager Thomas Tuchel. However, the German tactician was dismissed soon after the transfer was completed.
Aubameyang struggled under Tuchel's replacement, Graham Potter. He failed to cement his spot in the team and scored only three goals and provided one assist in 21 appearances for the Blues.
With his Chelsea career in a perplexing situation, Aubameyang was keen on a return to Barca in the summer.
However, the Catalan club already had Lewandowski and they had also sealed Vitor Roque's signing, who will join the club in 2024. Aubameyang ended up at Olympique de Marseille and has been flourishing for the Ligue 1 club. The 34-year-old has scored 12 goals and has provided six assists in 21 appearances for Marseille.
Bayern Munich sporting director speaks about interest in Barcelona's Ronald Araujo
Bayern Munich's sporting director, Christoph Freund, has addressed the Bavarians' interest in Barcelona's Ronald Araujo.
Bayern have been linked with a surprise move for the Uruguayan central defender, who has been one of Barca's key players in recent times. Freund, though, remained tight-lipped on the matter, telling the media (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
“I don’t want to make a statement on that. The transfer window is approaching. Generally speaking — there are some talks, but I don’t want to say anything about that in detail.”
Since making his Barcelona debut in 2019, Araujo has made 127 appearances for the club. He has made 14 appearances for the Catalan club this season, helping the team keep four clean sheets.
Araujo's current contract with Barca runs until the end of the 2025-26 season and the player is valued at €70 million by Transfermarkt.