Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival at Barcelona has been confirmed following his release by Arsenal.
The Gabonese striker, 32, was unveiled at the Camp Nou on Wednesday after being paid a reported £7m to terminate his £350,000 a week contract by “mutual consent” after being dropped from the squad due to disciplinary reasons.
In a message to Arsenal’s fans, Aubameyang posted on Instagram: “Thank you for making London home for myself and my family for the past four years. We went through ups and downs together and your support meant everything to me.
“I have always been 100 per cent focused and committed on doing everything I can for this club which is why leaving without a real goodbye hurts – but that is football.”
During his time at Arsenal, Aubameyang scored 92 goals in 165 appearances and won the Premier Golden Boot in his first full season (2018-19).
Arsenal said: “We wish Auba all the best for the next chapter in his career and thank him for his contribution to the club.”
Aubameyang has a reported €100m (£83m) buyout clause in a contract that runs until 2025, and signs for Barcelona despite previously admitting that he promised his grandfather he would play for their bitter rivals Real Madrid as it was his “childhood dream”.
Despite being in severe debt Barcelona also brought in Ferran Torres (£45m), Adama Traore in January as they bid to improve on their current position of fifth in La Liga.
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Rio Ferdinand: “I wish him good luck, because I think for both parties Aubameyang needed to leave. For his sake, for his footballing sake, but also for Arsenal’s sake. You don’t want it as a club, a player hanging around who’s not really wanted by the manager.”
Emmanuel Petit: “I don’t want to show disrespect for Aubameyang because I believe he is a great player but for the last few months he hasn’t been. I believe Arteta made the right decision on Aubameyang and he made his mark in the dressing room with the choice he made.”
Emmanuel Adebayor: “I know he’s going through a lot because that’s Arsenal for you. They never learn, they never learn to forgive.”
Paul Merson: “If Aubameyang plays to his best ability he gets into the Arsenal team every day of the week so for me it’s a shame, it shouldn’t happen but it’s not the first time.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/ZfMurUyoE
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