Barcelona forward ‘very close’ to joining Chelsea in a straight-cash deal – report

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the star attraction when Barcelona faced Manchester City in a charity game Wednesday night.

While the forward scored in the friendly, It appeared he was playing his final game for Barça amid intense speculation linking him to a move away from Camp Nou.

Chelsea are currently in pole position to secure the services of the former Borussia Dortmund starlet, who has found himself trailing in the pecking order at Barcelona, following the summer arrival of Robert Lewandowski.

After scoring 13 goals during the second half of last season, Aubameyang has featured in only eight minutes of league action in the new season, which is indicative of his diminishing role in Xavi’s setup.

And in light of all this, the striker’s exit from Camp Nou could be imminent, with a move to Chelsea in the closing stages, as per reports from Ben Jacobs.

The journalist suggests Aubameyang is “very close” to joining the Premier League giants. The whole operation could be finalised in the coming hours, with the two parties likely to sanction a direct cash deal, without the involvement of any makeweights.

There were talks of Marcos Alonso potentially being included in the deal. But it appears Barcelona have cooled their interest in the Spaniard, especially amid their financial woes that have prevented them from registering Jules Kounde.

That said, the sale of Aubameyang should go a long way in helping Barcelona balance the books. The club could thus be in a position to reevaluate their financial position soon after the sale and consider whether or not they are able to afford the operation to sign a new full-back.

Overall, this is going to be a busy week for Barcelona as they look to finalise their squad by the end of the month, including the registration of Kounde.