Aubameyang may have already played his last game for Chelsea, with several La Liga clubs interested in bringing the once prolific striker back to Spain.
After only six frustrating months at Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be offered a Spanish escape route.
After being deemed surplus to requirements by Barcelona, the former Arsenal captain joined the Blues on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Aubameyang joined the Catalan giants a year ago, but their dire financial situation, combined with the signing of Robert Lewandowski, forced Barcelona to accept Chelsea’s low-ball offer of £12 million.
The opportunity to reunite with Thomas Tuchel outweighed the 33-year-old’s disappointment at being forced to leave Barcelona, but the German was ruthlessly sacked by Todd Boehly within a week of Aubameyang arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Nonetheless, Aubameyang began his Chelsea career with a bang, scoring three goals in his first five appearances, but his form has deteriorated rapidly in recent months, and he hasn’t scored since early October.
Graham Potter insists his relationship with Aubameyang is still intact despite hauling him off during last week’s defeat against Manchester City, having only introduced him as a fifth-minute substitute following Raheem Sterling’s early injury.
According to Potter, Aubameyang missed Sunday’s FA Cup thrashing of the same opponents due to a back injury and will face a fitness test to determine whether he will be able to play against Fulham in tomorrow night’s west London derby.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Aubameyang may have already played his last game for Chelsea, with several La Liga clubs interested in bringing the once prolific striker back to Spain.
Atletico Madrid are looking for a new forward, and Joao Felix is set to join Chelsea on a six-month loan, with Todd Boehly willing to sanction a £10 million deal without a purchase option.
Felix arrived in London on Tuesday for a medical, which didn’t take place in time for him to make his debut at Craven Cottage.
Felix’s departure is said to have no bearing on Aubameyang’s role in the Chelsea squad, but former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes the former Premier League Golden Boot winner’s future is bleak.
‘I think Aubameyang will now be moved on,’ Merson said. I believe they will cut ties with him.
‘I think it’s probably the end when you’re sub-subbing a 30-something player. You might be able to get away with it with a younger player, but it’s one of those unwritten rules in football. It’s a no-no.
‘But Potter did it with him at 33, and I think he’s done,’ he says. It exemplifies why Chelsea has such a difficult time recruiting.’