Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was pictured celebrating in Barcelona’s dressing room after they beat Real Madrid in El Clasico last night.
The 33-year-old was at Camp Nou as his former side won 2-1 after not making Graham Potter’s squad for the draw against Everton on Saturday.
The Catalan giants retain a positive relationship with Aubameyang and are willing to make a cut-price offer to end his Chelsea nightmare.
The Spanish league leaders hope to re-sign Aubameyang for free and on reduced wages, as they navigate an ongoing financial crisis.
Chelsea agreed a deal to sell Aubameyang to Los Angeles FC but he turned it down, preferring to wait until the summer amid interest from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan.
Potter insists the door remains open for Aubameyang but, having played just seven minutes of football since the transfer window closed, he feels he is being forced out of Stamford Bridge.
His situation is not expected to improve after alternative forward options Kai Havertz and Joao Felix scored in the 2-2 draw with Everton. The Blues squandered several chances in the game and conceded two sloppy goals.
Chelsea remain 10th in the league and have won just four of their last 15 matches in all competitions. They face a difficult run-in when club football returns. Seven of Chelsea’s remaining 11 league matches are against teams above them, while a Champions League draw against Real Madrid will represent a huge midweek challenge.
The Blues are also left sweating on the fitness of Wesley Fofana, who Potter substituted because of ‘fatigue’ but tests have shown he has a hamstring injury.
The 22-year-old has withdrawn from France’s squad and is now in a race to return to face Aston Villa in two weeks. N’Golo Kante returned as an unused substitute on Saturday after seven months out.
