Ray Parlour feels Chelsea will frustrate Arsenal fans by signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, while the London rivals fight to finish in the top-four Premier League spots.
Parlour doubts Arsenal fans ‘would be too happy’ if Chelsea sign Aubameyang
Gunners hero Ray Parlour has told talkSPORT that he doubts Arsenal supporters ‘would be too happy’ if Chelsea were to now sign striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona.
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Arsenal paid Aubameyang a lump sum of £7m to tear up the final 18-months of his £350k-a-week contract in January, per The Times. The Gabon forward had fallen out of favour at the Emirates Stadium under Mikel Arteta, who stripped the striker of the club’s captaincy.
Arteta felt Aubameyang could not continue in the role, with Arsenal confirming it followed his ‘latest disciplinary breach’. ESPN also reported this May that Arteta took the decision to release him as he felt his attitude at the club’s training ground was a ‘significant problem’.
Barcelona would offer Aubameyang a route away from north London, but required the 33-year-old to take a significant wage cut. Marca report the forward slashed his salary to only €95k-a-week (£81k-a/w) to join the Camp Nou giants, on a contract running to June 2025.
The 73-cap international has scored 13 goals and laid on one assist over his first 24 outings for Barcelona. But Xavi Hernandez only fielded him for the final seven minutes of his side’s goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano to kick off the 2022/23 La Liga campaign last Saturday.
Aubameyang’s backup role at home to Rayo Vallecano came amid talks between Chelsea and Barcelona to sign the striker. Relevo report the Blues are ready to offer €19m (£16m), plus €5m (£4m) in add-ons, and are willing to almost double the attacker’s weekly salary.
Aubameyang ready to snub Manchester United move for a Tuchel reunion
Aubameyang would welcome the chance to sign for Chelsea, if the former Arsenal captain is to leave Barcelona, per the Daily Mail. He would also snub a move to Manchester United to reunite with his former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
But Gunners hero Parlour believes the move would leave corners of the Emirates Stadium fanbase upset, with Arteta and Tuchel tussling over the top-four Premier League positions.
“I don’t think Arsenal fans would be too happy,” Parlour suggests. “[Chelsea are] Arsenal’s rivals – that’s who they’re going to be competing with if they’re going to try and get in that top-four this season.
“But Aubameyang has been pushed out. He might want to play in the Premier League still. Mikel Arteta made it clear he’s going to be leaving [in January].”
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