19 June 2023 , 15:14
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's ill-fated spell at Chelsea looks set to come to an end this summer.
The 34-year-old was signed for a reported £12.1m a year ago by Thomas Tuchel, who had worked closely with Aubameyang at Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. However, he made just one appearance under Tuchel before he was sacked and Aubameyang only featured 20 more times in all competitions for the Blues under Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard.
He also managed just one Premier League goal and was cut from Chelsea's Champions League squad in February, despite featuring in every group game. As a result, Aubameyang is expected to be one of several big name departures from Stamford Bridge this summer as Chelsea look to revamp their squad.
The former Arsenal striker has been the subject of heavy interest from the mega-rich Saudi Pro League, having already tempted Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema with hugely lucrative contract offers. However, the Daily Mail claim he is not interested in the move, with the report stating that Chelsea received an offer worth £6m for Aubameyang that they are desperate to accept.
However, the player is 'pushing to leave Chelsea on his own terms', having initially hoped Barcelona would try and re-sign him. That has not materialised and Aubameyang is said to be attracting interest from Major League Soccer, having previously been linked with a move to LAFC back in February.
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He remains hopeful Chelsea will let him leave for free, despite having another year left on his contract. New manager Mauricio Pochettino does have a major rebuilding job on his hands, having taken over a club which has spent almost £600m on transfers under its new owners and finished 12th in the league last season.
Aubameyang is not interested in a move to Saudi Arabia (James Gill/Getty Images)Pochettino's appointment was confirmed last month, with owner Todd Boehly hailing him as a "world-class coach" following stints in charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur.
Sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley added: "Mauricio's experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate."