Chelsea forked out over €160 million in two strikers over the last two years, but nothing went according to plan. This summer, the Blues have parted ways with both Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku after neither of them lived up to the expectations.
Curiously, both went back totheir former teams. With Werner returning to Leipzig and Lukaku going back to Inter Milan, Thomas Tuchel now is short of options up front. In fact, Kai Havertz has been leading the attack though he is not even an outright No. 9.
Therefore, Chelsea reportedly are interested in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is no longer a starter for Xavi since Robert Lewandowski joined Barcelona. However, the Catalans are not letting him leave so easily.
Report: Barcelona let Chelsea know how much to pay for Aubameyang
According to transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona told Chelsea during the weekend they want around €30 million for the Gabonese star, which is a bit higher than expected for the Blues.
Romano adds that Aubameyang is Tuchel’s priority target, as the Chelsea head coach reportedly is ‘pushing’ for his arrival. However, Xavi would also prefer to continue counting on the 33-year-old forward.
Though Lewandowski’s arrival means he will hardly have a place in the starting lineup, Aubameyang is appreciatedat Barcelona. Having joined the club in the deadline day of the winter transfer market, he made an immediate impact at Camp Nou scoring 13 goals in 24 games.
At Chelsea, however, Auba may find more playing time in a league he already knows very well. In four years at Arsenal, he recorded 68 goals in 128 Premier League appearances.