The recent matches have confirmed the belief that Barcelona need new forwards in the summer. Apart from Messi and Fati, all the others have been inconsistent, and the manager has struggled to find the right combination. This is primarily the reason that the club has identified Lautaro Martínez from Inter Milan as a possible summer target. Still, the demands of the Italian club are making things complicated.
Sky Italia reported that the Cules had identified Pierre Emerick Aubameyang as a replacement for the Inter Milan man if the deal with the Serie A club does not go through. Right now, the Arsenal player is Plan B for the Spanish giants with the management monitoring the situation.
Would Aubameyang suit Barcelona?
Luis Suarez has reached an age where his contributions for the side have been limited. During his peak years, the Uruguayan international had complimented the likes of Messi and Neymar with panache. Although, a centre-forward by trade, Suarez had an insurmountable versatility which helped him to take up the role of the creator-in-chief for the side. We had seen the same quality of Suarez at Liverpool where Sturridge used to be the target man for the team, and Suarez played just behind the English forward.
When Barcelona brought in Griezmann from Atletico last season, many thought that the French superstar would eventually step into the shoes of Suarez. He was not a typical poacher and could drop back and assist his teammates, more particularly Messi in this case. However, the reality has been different with the FIFA World Cup winner looking out of place in his new team, probably instigating the club into looking for a replacement for him.
In this scenario, Aubameyang would be the perfect man to thrive in Barcelona in the given role. At Arsenal, the Gabon international has played as a centre-forward, or in a supporting role with Lacazette at the top. He has established his authority in both the positions and has proven time and again that he is well adept at combining with the main forward of the side.
What would he bring to Spain?
The former Dortmund player is right now 31 years old, and that could bother Quique Setien as he would not be there to help the club for too long in the future. However, this is the reason he has been considered as Plan B, and if the manager fails to land Martinez in the summer, Aubameyang could be a viable option.
This season he has played 29 times for the Gunners in the Premier League scoring 17 goals in total. During this time he has taken 2.6 shots per game and made 0.8 key passes on average per match. As already mentioned the Gabon international’s link-up play with his teammates is something that any manager would cherish, and his finishing is also precise. Even considering that Aubameyang would not be able to perform at the desired level for a long time, he still has it in him to make a mark at Camp Nou for a couple of seasons.
Stats from Whoscored.
