Chelsea ready to stun rivals Arsenal as Tuchel considers shock striker raid
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with a stunning move across London to join Chelsea from Arsenal.
Aubameyang has been at Arsenal since 2018, when he joined from Borussia Dortmund. They have regularly had to fend off interest from other clubs to keep hold of their striker since then. Last summer, there was much speculation over his future until he signed a new deal.
They may have some regrets about that, as Aubameyang has not justified his huge wages since then. He suffered a downturn in form in the 2020-21 season, ending it with 10 Premier League goals.
He remains important to them, though, and still serves as captain. But once again, they could be set for a summer of speculation over his future.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Aubameyang has now been identified as a possible target for rivals Chelsea.
The Blues are looking for a centre-forward this summer after Timo Werner struggled in his debut Premier League campaign. Roman Abramovich is ready to spend big, but the club are having to draw up other plans if their main targets are unavailable.
Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland are at the top of their wishlist, but all would be hard to acquire. Therefore, the Telegraph claim they have some other options in mind.
Aubameyang to reunite with Tuchel?
Aubameyang is among them, as Thomas Tuchel used to coach him at Dortmund. Before the derby between Chelsea and Arsenal last month, the Blues boss said: “Back in the days at Dortmund, it was a pure pleasure to have him in the squad.
“Auba was a fantastic striker, a fantastic finisher on the pitch. But, more than that, he was a fantastic worker off the pitch.
“We still are in touch and exchange messages when one of us has a big win. In some ways, he will still always be my player, so I want him to succeed and have a good time wherever he is.”
At the time, Tuchel played down the idea of signing Aubameyang, reminding that “he does not get younger”. But behind the scenes, the situation may be different.
Given he is over 30 years old, Aubameyang would be cheaper than some of their top targets. What’s more, it was claimed in March that Arsenal would listen to offers for the frontman.
Whether they would entertain their rivals – who also have Robert Lewandowski and Danny Ings on their plan B list – remains to be seen.
READ MORE: Ruthless Tuchel to begin cull of Lampard’s buys with Chelsea flop; suitors named
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