Chelsea have agreed a deal with Barcelona for forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and his transfer will be announced by the London club in the coming hours.
The former Arsenal captain joined Barça in early February on a free, after the Gunners agreed to let him go, having been frozen out of the side by manager Mikel Arteta.
That four-year contract in Spain included a release clause fee of £83.4m – but Blues fans will be relieved to hear that what they will pay is significantly less.
The deal that has been struck up is that Chelsea will pay €14m plus Marcos Alonso to secure Aubameyang's move, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Gabonese international has signed a two-year contract with Chelsea, with an option for a third.
🚨🚨 Pierre Aubameyang to Chelsea and Marcos Alonso to Barça: here we go! Full agreement completed. €14m fee to Barcelona. #DeadlineDayMore: Aubameyang will fly to London around 5pm! Two year deal + one more option.Alonso in Spain to undergo medical and sign three year deal. pic.twitter.com/nILbmEk8G8September 1, 2022
Aubameyang has fallen out of favour at Barcelona, who are desperate to cut wages after a spending spree this summer – a situation that has also seen them keen to offload Frenkie De Jong. He has particularly fallen down the pecking order since the arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich this summer.
In those circumstances, some may wonder whether Chelsea have got the best value out of this deal, shelling out an eight-figure sum plus a younger player to secure the services of a 33-year-old.
Despite that, Aubameyang has had a good record during his brief time in Catalonia, scoring 13 goals in 24 appearances for Barcelona.
He will be out of action for his first few weeks at his new club, after suffering a fractured jaw during a home invasion last week.
More Chelsea stories
Thomas Tuchel is in a tough mood following two defeats in the opening five games. Chelsea lost to Southampton and the German has been bullish about making transfer moves to strengthen.
The Blues apparently want two new forwards. Callum Hudson-Odoi has left for Leverkusen on loan, while Crystal Palace lynchpin Wilf Zaha and AC Milan star Rafael Leao have been touted for spectacular moves.
Elsewhere, Chelsea have had a breakthrough in signing Wesley Fofana, while one shock swoop for Harry Maguire has been rumoured.
