Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 'very close' to ending nightmare Chelsea spell
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is edging closer to another transfer as he looks set to end his Chelsea nightmare.
The 33-year-old striker is poised to sign for MLS outfit Los Angeles FC after being axed from Chelsea’s Champions League squad following an influx of new signings. Aubameyang only moved to Stamford Bridge on a two-year deal in September - seven months after leaving Arsenal to sign for Barcelona.
He agreed on a switch to west London to work with former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel again - only for Chelsea to sack the German coach less than a week later. According to Le10 Sport, an agreement has now been reached between Chelsea and LAFC over a loan deal which will see the Blues save money by offloading Aubameyang’s £7.9million-per-season salary.
The report adds that there are still a few details left to resolve between Aubamayeng and the California-based club before the move can be completed. LAFC had Gareth Bale on their books until his recent retirement and view Aubameyang as a worthy replacement.
Aubameyang's options were limited due to already playing for two clubs this season - the maximum FIFA will allow. However, as the 2023 MLS season begins this month, it is not deemed part of the same season as far as the calendar is concerned, allowing LAFC to make their move.
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Chelsea boss Graham Potter is happy to let Aubameyang go after bringing in forwards Joao Felix, David Datro Fofana, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke during the January window.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Aubameyang making the right move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Aubameyang has struggled to force his way into Graham Potter's plans (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)Speaking last Friday after telling Aubameyang he was not in Chelsea's Champions League squad, Potter said: "Pierre is a professional and, of course, I understand he will be disappointed. It was a tough decision, a tough call. We had three coming in and two had to go out.
"He was the one that missed out, he's done nothing wrong at all. Pierre is just unfortunate and he will be fighting for his place for the rest of the season."
"Everything is up for grabs," Potter continued. "He's got to keep working, train like he did today and be ready to play because football changes quickly. That's the nature of the game. Whichever decision we made, there was always going to be a conversation about it, but it was my decision."
He added: "It was a tough decision, absolutely. Sometimes, you have to make these calls but it's absolutely nothing bad against him. He's done nothing wrong at all. He's handled it very well, trained today fantastically, which is what I would expect. He's been a top guy for us."
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