Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed for Barcelona on a free transfer from Arsenal.
The striker fell out of favour with Mikel Arteta late last year, being stripped of the captaincy in mid-December after a disciplinary breach saw him omitted from the Gunners’ squad to face Southampton. The 32-year-old has not featured for the club since then, his last appearance coming on 6 December as a late substitute in a defeat to Everton.
Following his return to availability after initially not being considered for selection, he was allowed to leave early for the Africa Cup of Nations with Gabon - only to test positive for Covid just before the tournament started and miss out on his nation’s group campaign.
He was then sent home from the national team squad early after “cardiac lesions”, but subsequently announced his heart was “absolutely fine” and he was “completely healthy”.
However, Aubameyang was no longer required by Arsenal and made available for transfer, and despite initial discussions with Barcelona seeing the move held up by his wage demands - the Catalan outfit struggling to find room for his £350,000-a-week salary - the three parties have eventually come to a resolution, with the north London club allowing him to leave for free.
Aubameyang has now signed a contract at the Camp Nou which runs through to 2025, though his new club note there is an “option to agree departure on 30 June 2023” - effectively making this an 18-month deal, with a potential two-year extension. The striker will be 34 years old when the option date triggers.
His buy-out clause at Barcelona is set at €100m (£83.5m) and his official unveiling will be held at the club’s stadium in due course.
