February 02, (THEWILL) – Barcelona has finally confirmed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s free move from Arsenal.
The move was reportedly uncertain as the deadline for the January transfer window loomed, but events changed quickly with Aubameyang accepting a salary cut and the Gunners willing to let their lead striker off their books for free.
The confirmation from the Catalan side on Wednesday brings a thrilling tale to a close as Barça officially announced the arrival of the Gabonese team captain after his contract with Arsenal was terminated.
THEWILL recalls that Aubameyang was stripped of his Arsenal captaincy in December due to a disciplinary issue, and he has not played for the club since. During that time, he travelled to the Africa Cup of Nations but did not play after testing positive for COVID-19 and a separate medical issue.
Barça will be hoping that the 32-year-old can provide considerable firepower for their side for the remainder of the season, after Sergio Aguero was forced to retire last month due to health issues and a dearth of striking options has seen them unable to pile up goals from scoring chances.
During the January transfer window, the Catalans also recruited Ferran Torres, paying Manchester City a large price to bring the 22-year-old forward back to Spain.
In his first two full seasons with Arsenal, Aubameyang scored 60 goals. For the period before joining Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in the 2013/2014 season, until he left north London this January, he has found the back of the net 233 times.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
