Barcelona still hoping to sign former striker on a Bosman deal in the summer

According to Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard, Barcelona are still harbouring hopes of re-signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer.

Aubameyang arrived at Barcelona in January last year and made a big impact, helping Xavi’s men finish second in the league table. However, he was sold by the club due to their financial woes and the need to free up space to register new signings.

Having ended up at Chelsea, Aubameyang has struggled to get going and has completely fallen out of favour under new manager Graham Potter.

Indeed, the 33-year-old was left of the Blues’ UEFA Champions League squad and an exit in January looked very likely. Barcelona themselves were keen on a move, but could not re-sign him due to La Liga and RFEF rules.

A transfer to MLS club Los Angeles FC was also on the cards, but the Gabonese striker refused to the USA as he hoped to secure a move to a European club in the summer.

While Potter insists that the door is open for the striker to force his way back into the team, the fact that the ex-Arsenal captain has played just seven minutes after January shows that he could very well be done at Chelsea.

And, it is now being claimed that Barcelona are still hoping to sign Aubameyang, as long as he would be made available for a free transfer. However, any move for him would only be possible if he agrees to join for very low wages.

The 33-year-old had developed a close bond with everyone at the club during his short stint last year. He was back at Camp Nou this past Sunday and celebrated with the rest of the dressing room after Barça beat Real Madrid to take a step closer to the La Liga title.

With the Catalans focusing on signing Vitor Roque to bolster the centre-forward slot, Aubameyang will not be seen as a priority. But should an opportunity come up, there could be a chance they act on it.