It was not until the very end of the transfer deadline day that Barcelona could secure the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It took its time but theout-of-favor Arsenal striker has eventually found his way to the Camp Nou.
The Gabonese has enjoyed a wonderful spell in North London but it didnāt end well, as he was stripped of the teamās captaincy and was separated from the squad over disciplinary breaches. Now, heās off to a fresh start with the La Liga giants.
The move makessense for all parties involved, as Barca strengthen themselves without spending on a fee while the Gunners get rid of a lucrative contract that has not been useful lately. However,terminating Aubaās contract came at a cost for the Premier League side.
Hereās what Arsenal paid Aubameyang to end his contract and let him join Barca for nothing
There was simply no point inArsenal continuing toaffordAubameyangās expensive salary while he continued being snubbed by Mikel Arteta. Before the winter transfer market concluded, they reached an agreement with the player to terminate his contract ā but the club had to pay a price for it.
According to The Times, Arsenal paid nearlyĀ£7 million ($9.5m) to rescind AubameyangāsĀ£350,000-a-week ($475,000) deal. The 32-year-old striker was under contract under 2023 after signing a lucrative extension in the summer of 2020, shortly after he had a fantastic season that helped the club win the FA Cup.
Agreeing to thoseterms of his departure may have been what took so long to confirm his transfer to Barcelona. Aubameyang signed for the Cules as a free agent, with his new contract reportedly running until 2025 withaā¬100 million ($113m) release clause.
