Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a two-year contract with the option of an extra season.
The 33-year-old returns to the Premier League only nine months after leaving Arsenal, the club he captained before a disciplinary breach saw him stripped of the role in November.
Thomas Tuchel worked with Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund between 2015 and 2017 and spoke in glowing terms of the player earlier this summer despite an acrimonious end to his time in north London.
Our newest recruit, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang! 😎 #AubameyangIsChelsea pic.twitter.com/ptrjqecDz2
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 1, 2022
With Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner leaving the club this summer, Aubameyang emerged as Chelsea’s key attacking target over the likes of Anthony Gordon and Wilfried Zaha.
Chelsea will pay £12m for the Gabon international’s services but will have to wait for his debut following a home invasion, with Aubameyang having suffered a broken jaw as armed robbers attacked the forward in front of his family. As part of the deal, Marcos Alonso has moved to the Camp Nou.
The signing takes the spending under the Boehly-Clearlake Capital era beyond £250m, breaking a club and British record in a single transfer window.
