Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could find himself back at Barcelona this summer, with the Chelsea outcast desperate to return to the Camp Nou.
Following his £10.5million transfer to Stamford Bridge last September, Aubameyang has failed to make an impact upon returning to the Premier League and now reportedly realises that he made a grave mistake in signing for Chelsea. The Gabonese striker had only spent eight months with Barca, enjoying a run of 13 goals in 24 games and becoming a key player for manager Xavi Hernandez.
That's in stark contrast to how he's fared under Graham Potter, scoring just three goals in 17 games and being left out of the Blues' Champions League squad in favour of newer additions in west London. With Potter and co opening to sanctioning his departure, Aubameyang is dreaming of playing for Barcelona again - and fresh suggestions from Catalunya mean that it could become a reality.
According to Sport, Barca are keen on recruiting a backup striker who can chip in with goals and offer 34-year-old talisman Robert Lewandowski occasional rests. The Pole has largely been prolific since joining from Bayern Munich last summer but he's only managed two goals in his last 10 games for club and country.
Barcelona's ideal signing is Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, who plays for Athletico Paranaense and is already a full Brazil international at the tender age of 18. Given Paranaense's likely asking price, however, officials at the Camp Nou may not be able to afford Roque, so a Plan B has been devised.
A cost-effective, season-long loan move for Aubameyang is currently being discussed which would see the ex- Arsenal captain play out the remainder of his Chelsea contract at Barca. It's been mooted that the Blues could terminate his deal in order to sanction a free transfer elsewhere before the end of the current campaign, although Potter still believes that Aubameyang can contribute.
Have your say! Should Barcelona bring back Aubameyang? Let us know your verdict in the comments section.
"Pierre is in our squad, he remains an important player for us, he's worked hard, he knows the situation at the moment," the Chelsea manager declared after snubbing the striker from his Champions League squad ahead of the knockout stages. "Nothing's set in stone, his attitude has been really, really good. We'll make an assessment as we go forward."
Aubameyang was notably at the Camp Nou to see Barcelona beat bitter rivals Real Madrid in their El Clasico matchup earlier this month, with Xavi's men now 12 points clear of their archenemies with as many games to go. The former Borussia Dortmund star was filmed celebrating with his old team-mates in the dressing room and he's keen to make more memories with them next term.
