Barcelona sign Arsenal striker Aubameyang
Martin Macdonald
- 31 Jan 2022 23:29 GMT
- 2 min read
Barcelona have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer from Arsenal
Although no announcement arrived before the transfer deadline, a deal was struck and official confirmation will follow on Tuesday.
This follows a remarkable Deadline Day saga that saw Aubameyang travel to Spain in a move that was reported to have surprised the Gunners.
Negotiations initially broke down due to the player's wage demands, with the Gabon star reportedly on £350,000 per week at Arsenal.
Aubameyang is no longer wanted at the Gunners after disciplinary issues resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy by manager Mikel Arteta.
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Arsenal were desperate to offload Aubameyang, not only due to his disciplinary problems, but due to the fact it would allow them to free up his exorbitant wages.
He had a contract at the Emirates until 2023 and the club was keen to avoid a similar situation to that of Mesut Ozil, who stayed for an extended period on massive wages despite not featuring for the first team.
Aubameyang signs for Barcelona
A transfer to Milan was mentioned in the week leading up to the end of the transfer window, but that never gained traction, again due to salary issues.
Barcelona have been searching for a centre-forward this month at the request of Xavi, who seems untrusting of current options Luuk de Jong and Martin Braithwaite.
It was initially believed that the player would move on loan, but reports have since confirmed that it is on a permanent basis via a free transfer.
