Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was pictured celebrating with his former Barcelona team-mates after they beat Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday night.
Aubameyang joined Chelsea from Barca in September on a two-year contract but has endured a miserable time with the Premier League club. He has barely featured in recent months and was among the players who were cut from the squad for the Champions League following Chelsea’s splurge in the January transfer window.
He appears set to leave the Blues in the summer, but his appearance back at his former club still turned heads on Sunday. Aubameyang popped up in a dressing room celebration picture with Ferran Torres after Barca came from behind to beat Real 2-1 and strengthen their grip on LaLiga.
Xavi Hernandez’s side went 1-0 down early on through Ronald Araujo’s own goal before equalising through Sergi Roberto’s calm finish from a loose ball. Real thought they had won it when Marco Asensio turned in to make it 2-1, only for VAR to rule his effort out for offside – and that proved costly when Franck Kessie side-footed Alejandro Balde’s cross in for a late winner.
Barca are now 12 points clear of Real at the top of LaLiga and are on course to win the title, having won 22 of their 26 games under Xavi this season. It was a momentous occasion at the Camp Nou – and one they wanted to share with Aubameyang, who clearly retains a strong relationship with the club.
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Aubameyang scored 13 goals in 24 games for Barcelona last season after joining them in January following his breakdown in relationship with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. He appeared happy at the club but was forced to leave and join Chelsea in the summer due to financial constraints at the Catalan club, who needed to cut costs.
It has not gone to plan in west London, with just three goals coming in 18 appearances across all competitions for Graham Potter’s side. Chelsea have a bloated 33-man squad and Aubameyang is behind Mykhaylo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Noni Madueke in the pecking order.
Last month he was linked with a move to MLS, with Chelsea open to his sale ahead of a summer in which they are sure to trim the squad. Aubameyang would love to rejoin Barcelona, but a January move was against FIFA regulations. It remains to be seen whether a move can be agreed between all parties in the summer.
Aubameyang has not played for Chelsea since making a late substitute appearance in their 2-0 defeat by Tottenham on February 26. His last start for the club came way back on November 6 in a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
He continues to train with the squad at their Cobham base, but is increasingly ostracised from the team. The Gabon international has not made the squad for their past two Premier League matches and cannot feature in the Champions League.
