Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will play for Chelsea against Arsenal with the Gunners tattoo on his arm on show.
The Gabonese striker arrived in London on Thursday evening to complete his transfer to the Blues. When asked whether he is looking forward to the challenge at his new club, Aubameyang replies "for sure". "I'm back," he adds, before thanking the reporter.
The 33-year-old began last season at Arsenal, where he was club captain at the start of the campaign. However, after a much-publicised falling-out with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, he joined Barca midway through the season and scored an impressive 11 goals in 17 matches in La Liga.
Earlier this week, Aubameyang was physically assaulted during an armed robbery at his home. 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. The striker is thought to have sustained a broken jaw in the incident – which may sideline him from action for several weeks.
However, he will have returned to action when his former club Arsenal take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 5 November. Aubameyang has a tattoo of himself in an Arsenal top on his right arm. The image, which shows the striker alongside his two children walking down the tunnel at the Emirates Stadium, depicts him wearing his No.14 top at the Gunners – while his kids also have those kits.
Ashley Cole, Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Willian, Emmanuel Petit, David Luiz, Petr Cech, Nicolas Anelka and Olivier Giroud are among those who have played for both clubs in recent times – if not always direct transfers – with players losing status and credence among the fanbase of their former club by joining their rivals.
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Aubameyang is close to Blues boss Thomas Tuchel after their time together at Borussia Dortmund and the two will now be reunited at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea moved to replace Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, who both left the club.
Aubameyang 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.
Eugenio Botas, an intermediary who was working on behalf of Chelsea in their attempts to sign Aubameyang, was in Barcelona earlier this month and he had been spotted several times alongside Barca's Director of Football, Mateu Alemany, and with Jordi Cruyff, the club's sports director. Those negotiations have now helped produce a late deal.
