In a recent report, Sport mentioned that Barcelona are eyeing a loan move for Chelsea forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It is understood that the Catalan club are hoping to bring the Gabon international back to the Nou Camp on a season-long loan deal this summer.
Aubameyang’s Underwhelming Season In West London
The experienced frontman has struggled to prove his worth at Stamford Bridge as he has failed to be consistent with his offensive contributions for Chelsea this season. Aubameyang has scored three goals and earned one assist in 18 appearances for the Blues this season across all competitions.
The 33-year-old has seen most of his game time come off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.8 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He has also been sloppy with his link-up play in the final third, based on his pass success rate of 72.3% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Chelsea is set to run out in the summer of 2024. Thus, Barcelona have got a good chance of re-signing him on loan if they are serious about doing so at the end of this campaign.
Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Bring Aubameyang Back?
Aubameyang is a striker on the decline. He is currently lacking confidence in front of the opponent’s goal. However, the Gabon international has got a wealth of experience under his belt and already knows Barcelona well from his previous spell at the Catalan club.
Thus, Aubameyang won’t take much time to settle into life at the Nou Camp. He would undoubtedly add more firepower to Xavi’s attack.
However, the Gabon sensation will only serve as a short-term fix to Barca‘s attacking concerns. At 33, he only has a few good years left in him to play at his best. Therefore, Xavi would be wise to not bring him back to the Nou Camp but rather focus on getting someone much younger and with a better goal-scoring record in the summer.
