Fabrizio Romano confirms Chelsea are set to start talks with Marseille over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang move
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will start discussions with Marseille over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Ligue 1 club next week, as the 34-year-old is on the verge of leaving the Blues.
The former Arsenal striker has reached a personal agreement for a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 club, and now both clubs are scheduled to hold talks.
The Gabonese striker was an underwhelming acquisition for the West Londoners since he struggled to score, tallying just one goal across all competitions. His deal cost Chelsea £12 million, and they will be hoping to recoup part of that money
Aubameyang’s fall from the pecking order was swift after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel; under Graham Potter, he failed to convince the manager and was axed from Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League squad in February.
The 34-year-old also attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, which at one point looked like a possible destination for the striker, but now he could be on his way to Marseille.
Meanwhile, the Ligue 1 club is hoping to persuade Chelsea to allow the former Barcelona striker to leave for free, which will certainly be a loss for West Londoners. But his departure will be a significant relief for the club, as they will be able to get his wages off the books.
It’s disappointing to see Aubameyang lose his effectiveness as a striker after an excellent season at Barcelona. Had Tuchel stayed, he might have thrived. But overall, he looks like a shadow of his former self on the pitch, with his stamina, pace and finishing looking way off the mark.
After a season here at Chelsea, though, his departure should benefit all parties. We have to remain solid in our stance and ensure we don’t let him leave for free when he still has his contract until June 2024.
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Not only will selling him for nothing set us back a little financially, it will also send a message that teams can come to the table and hope to sign our out-of-favour players without giving anything in return. For OM, Auba makes sense as a short-term replacement for Alexis Sanchez and Arkadiusz Milik — both of whom are out of the club this summer.