Chelsea’s Aubameyang deal stalls despite breakthrough with Barcelona

Chelsea appeared to have made progress in their pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Thursday when it was reported that a fee had been agreed. 

Sport Bible suggested that a fee, believed to be £25 million, had been accepted by the Spanish side.

Now, though, it appears that completing the deal may not be as straightforward as first thought.

According to The Sun, talks over the proposed move have stalled as the player is demanding a two-year contract, while The Blues are only prepared to offer a 12 month deal.

It was suggested that personal terms had been agreed several days ago, but these new reports imply that a deal may not be as close as first thought.

Talks are ongoing between Aubameyang’s representatives and Chelsea

Aubameyang, 33, only joined Barcelona in January from Arsenal, but has been linked with an exit from the Nou Camp ever since the arrival of Robert Lewandowski, which is likely to significantly reduce the Gabon international’s playing time.

The ex-Arsenal captain has scored 13 goals in 24 appearances for the La Liga side, and is a player that Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is keen to work with.

The pair pent time together at Borussia Dortmund and it is believed that the German is keen on a reunion with a player that has scored goals prolifically throughout his career.

During his stint at Arsenal, Aubameyang scored 92 goals in 163 matches, also providing 21 assists.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a striker having let both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner depart the club this summer.

The Blues’ crop of attackers has struggled so far this term, with defenders Kalidou Koulibaly and Reece James scoring the club’s only goals from open play so far this season, while midfielder Jorginho has also weighed in with a penalty against Everton.

Tuchel’s side have also been linked with moves for the likes of AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, Everton’s Anthony Gordon and even Manchester United’s wantaway forward Cristiano Ronaldo.