Former Arsenal striker finally announced as Barcelona star

Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been officially announced as a Barcelona player, just two days after leaving the Gunners by mutual consent. 

The La Liga side took to Twitter to announce the news, although it had already been widely reported that the player would join the club having had his Arsenal deal terminated by mutual agreement.

The Gabon international was stripped of his captaincy due to a disciplinary breach at the start of December, and didn’t play for the club again before his departure on Monday.

Aubameyang played a total of 163 games for the London side, scoring 92 goals and registering 21 assists.

Arguably his finest achievement for the club came in 2020, when he scored braces in both the FA Cup semi-final and final, as Mikel Arteta’s side won the competition for a 14th time.

The 32-year-old will act as a replacement for fellow ex-Premier League striker Sergio Aguero, who unfortunately had to retire earlier this season.

The Argentine had joined Barcelona from Manchester City, but an issue with his heart was discovered in October and he was encouraged to retire by doctors.

Barcelona also signed Adama Traore from Wolves last month, although they failed to offload unsettled winger Ousmane Dembele.

Aubameyang’s first game for the Catalan side could come on Sunday, as they host Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp in a potentially crucial game at the top of La Liga.