Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to join Barcelona on a permanent contract with a medical set to take place on Monday evening.
The two clubs have been in negotiations in recent days over a deal to take the Gabonese striker to the Camp Nou and an agreement appears to have now been struck between the clubs.
Aubameyang flew into the Catalan capital on Monday in a surprise development to both clubs as it was before any settlement had been reached.
The main sticking point in the negotiations had been centred on the percentage split of the player’s £350k-per-week wages being covered by each club in a loan arrangement, but the deal will now be a permanent one with the striker accepting a wage cut.
Aubameyang has not played for the Gunners since 5 December after being disciplined by boss Mikel Arteta and he is now set to join the Blaugrana for the remainder of the campaign.
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Aubameyang has suffered an alarming fall from grace in North London having been stripped of the club captaincy and ostracised by Arteta – and has not featured for the club in almost two months.
The move may come as somewhat of a surprise, as Aubameyang has been linked with a switch to the Camp Nou multiple times in recent years but current Blaugrana boss Xavi Hernandez has previously voiced his opposition to the club signing him.
Xavi previously explained why Barca should not hold an interest in Aubameyang as even though he “can kill you in open space”, the Catalan club “need players who know how to move in small spaces.”
The arrival of Aubameyang continues a busy January of arrivals at the Camp Nou with Ferran Torres, Adama Traore and Dani Alves also arriving at the club.
Aubameyang’s exit would leave Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as the only recognised senior strikers in Arsenal’s squad, following the loan exit of Folarin Balogun to Middlesbrough earlier this month.
Balogun is one of five players to exit Arsenal’s first-team squad in January with Ainsley Maitland-Niles joining Roma on loan and Pablo Mari making a temporary move to Udinese, while Callum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac joined Aston Villa and Marseille respectively on free transfers.
Aubameyang has scored 92 goals for Arsenal in 163 appearances for the club since his January 2018 arrival from Borussia Dortmund, including seven goals in 15 outings this campaign.
