Chelsea forward open to Barcelona move, has a strong relationship with Xavi – Romano

According to Fabrizio Romano on Caught Offside (h/t Carpetas Blaugranas), Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window is not entirely impossible.

The 33-year-old striker enjoyed a short and sweet stint at Barcelona after arriving in January last year. However, the club’s financial situation meant that he was sold to Chelsea in the summer for a fee of around €12 million.

Things have not gone well for Aubameyang at Chelsea and he has been angling for a return to Barcelona. There were strong links in January, but a move was not possible due to RFEF rules.

With the Blaugrana in the market for reinforcements in attack again, Aubameyang’s name has once again started doing the rounds.

Vitor Roque of Athletico Paranaense remains the primary option for Barcelona to reinforce the centre-forward slot. However, there remain question marks over his transfer due to the costs involved.

Aubameyang, to that end, is seen as a possible alternative for Barcelona. The 33-year-old was a popular figure during his time at Barcelona and made valuable contributions on the field.

The report states that the Gabonese forward is very much open to returning to Camp Nou and maintains a strong relationship with manager Xavi Hernandez.

However, Barcelona would consider re-signing Aubameyang only if he were available for free. But Chelsea will let the striker go only if they receive a fee for his services.

Any operation would hinge on multiple factors, starting from how things fare for Barcelona in their pursuit of Vitor Roque to whether there is any scope for Chelsea to let go of the veteran attacker with a letter of freedom.