Chelsea have been handed a major boost in the race to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the striker reportedly ready to leave Barcelona. The 33-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as Thomas Tuchel looks to bolster his strike force.
football.london understand that the Blues submitted a £22million bid for the former Arsenal captain on Wednesday evening. It's believed that talks with the Spanish giants over Aubameyang's sale are ongoing.
It's also understood that Tuchel is eager to reunite with the Gabon international, who prospered under the German's stewardship at Borussia Dortmund. The Chelsea boss is said to have specifically identified the striker as a priority signing before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.
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At one stage, it remained to be seen whether Aubameyang was in favour of a move to west London but Todd Boehly has made a huge breakthrough. According to Sport, he would have 'no problem' with leaving Camp Nou now that the Blues have offered a three-year contract with an increased salary.
The report adds that Aubameyang is now is waiting for a deal to be finalised between the two clubs. It's also been said that Chelsea are prepared to go 'all out' to sign Tuchel's primary target.
Despite the breakthrough in negotiations, Xavi has kept his cards close to his chest. Speaking to the press ahead of Barcelona's clash with Real Sociedad, as quoted by the Mirror, the Spaniard said: "There is a market that ends on August 31 and we will see what will happen.
"Neither Aubameyang nor Memphis [Depay] have left and tomorrow we will be able to use them. Auba could be important against Real Sociedad, but we will see the circumstances.
"If there is an offer for any of them, we’ll see how the squad turns out to be. Now the priority is to register Kounde. Kounde is training really well. He’s great with the ball. I think we signed a very good player. Now we need to sell some players to register him."
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