Barcelona Confirm The Capture Of This Prolific Goal-Scorer: Is He The Right Fit For Xavi?

Barcelona have confirmed on their official website the capture of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal. It is understood that the Catalan club have come to an agreement with the Gabon international after he decided to terminate his contract with the Gunners.

Aubameyang’s Fall From Grace In English Football

Aubameyang has experienced an up and down campaign at the Emirates Stadium as he was responsible for producing some impressive displays for Arsenal in the final third. However, the talented frontman has ended up falling out of favour with the North London club. The 32-year-old has found the back of the net on seven occasions and provided two assists in 15 matches for Mikel Arteta’s side this season in all competitions.

The Laval-born talent did well to average 2.5 shots and 0.6 key passes per game in Premier League football. However, he has been sloppy when linking up play with others around him in the final third, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 70.1% in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).

Is Aubameyang The Right Fit For Barcelona?

Aubameyang remains an accomplished finisher in the final third when he is playing with confidence on the field. He excels at creating space for himself to get a few strikes in on-target and can even set up some decent chances for his teammates up top. However, the Gabon international has lost a yard of pace from his game as father time is catching up with him.

Still, there is no denying that Aubameyang could be a decent signing for Barca as he is a natural finisher who would add a lot of goals to Xavi‘s attack.

Moreover, the ex-AC Milan striker will be a significant upgrade over Luuk de Jong and could get back to playing his best football if he can ensure regular first-team starts at the Nou Camp over the next few months.

At 32, the Gabon star might still have a few years left in him to function at a high level and has what it takes to become a fan-favourite in Catalonia. All in all, Aubameyang will be a good fit for Barca but only if Xavi can manage to get the best out of him in the future.