Chelsea insist on swap deal with For Aubameyang, Barcelona not interested

As we enter the final few days of the summer transfer window, Barcelona and Chelsea continue to be in negotiations over a couple of transfer operations.

The Blues are interested in signing striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang while the Catalans have their sights set on a move for Marcos Alonso. Talks over the two deals have been ongoing for quite some time now, but a breakthrough is yet to be achieved.

Chelsea are desperate for a new striker and have identified Aubameyang as their top target. They were reported to have submitted an offer worth €18 million plus Alonso to convince Barcelona to sell the 33-year-old.

However, the Blaugrana rejected that proposal as they want a cash-only deal for Aubameyang and treat the Alonso deal as a separate entity.

But, according to Fabrizio Romano’s latest update, Chelsea continue to insist on including the left-back in their bid to sign Aubameyang, despite Barcelona’s clear reluctance to consider such an operation.

As a result, talks still continue between the two clubs with no breakthrough in sight as of yet, despite reports claiming that the former Arsenal captain was ‘very close’ to completing a transfer back to England.

Aubameyang only joined Barça during the January transfer window and has grown into a key player at Camp Nou. However, the arrival of Robert Lewandowski has pushed him down the pecking order.

The Gabonese centre-forward’s departure would help the club with player registration, with the Catalans still keen on bringing a right-back and a left-back, with Alonso being the preferred target for the latter role.

But with time running out fast, the two clubs must find a middle ground at the earliest possible and conclude a deal, whether it is a player-plus-cash operation or two separate transfers.