Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was physically assaulted during an armed robbery at his home on Monday morning, according to reports from Spain.
At least four men are alleged to have entered the garden of Aubameyang's home in the Castelldefels area of the Catalan capital, armed with firearms and iron bars.
It is claimed that Aubameyang was threatened with the weapons before being beaten, with the men also intimidating the footballer's wife to ensure they gained access to a safe inside the property.
The men are said to have taken multiple valuable items from the safe, including pieces of jewellery, before fleeing in a white Audi A3.
The details are outlined by a report in Spanish newspaper El Pais, which claims that the incident took place at 1am on Monday morning with Aubameyang and his wife submitting statements to local police, who are now trying to identify and find the robbers.
It is not uncommon for footballer's houses to be robbed but these events usually occur when the player is not at home – often when they are playing a match.
Aubameyang only moved to Catalonia earlier this year following his transfer as a free agent from Arsenal in January, with his future at the Camp Nou beyond this summer remaining uncertain. The Gabonese striker is no longer a guaranteed starter at Camp Nou following the summer signing of Robert Lewandowski.
Aubameyang's wage has also increased this season as part of his contractual agreement with the club, giving Barca the impetus to move him on as a non-guaranteed starter. The 33-year-old has been linked with a summer switch to Chelsea.
Eugenio Botas, an intermediary who is working on behalf of Chelsea in their attempts to sign Aubameyang, was in Barcelona earlier this month and he has been spotted several times alongside Barca's Director of Football, Mateu Alemany, and with Jordi Cruyff, the club's sports director. The details of these talks have been outlined by Mundo Deportivo.
Aubameyang is close to Blues boss Thomas Tuchel after their time together at Borussia Dortmund and the two may be reunited at Stamford Bridge this summer as Chelsea look to replace Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, who both left the club.
Aubameyang has netted 13 goals in 24 Barca appearances but has been an unused substitute in each of their last two La Liga matches, including Sunday night's four-goal victory at home to Real Valladolid.
