Arsenal fans fretting over the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be left worried by the latest rumor regarding the Gabonese ace. According to Diario Sport, the Gunners hitman remains hopeful of a move to Barcelona.
The 31-year-old is enjoying another excellent season in front of goal for the north London giants despite their disastrous campaign. Unfortunately for the club, the former Dortmund ace is into the final 12 months of his contract and is yet to sign an extension.
One factor that could be influential in whether Aubameyang stays or goes is the availability of European football. A Champions League spot is out of the question for Arsenal but the north London giants could make the Europa League should they win the FA Cup. The inability to qualify for UEFA's premier competition could prove detrimental to the club's contract negotiations with their talisman forward.
Here is where the Sport report comes in. The Spanish publication claim that the goalscoring machine is holding out for a Camp Nou switch as he is a striker on the Blaugrana's radar. However, it should be noted that he is not their no.1 target. That honor goes to Inter Milan sensation Lautaro Martinez.
So where does Aubameyang's hopes originate from? Sport writes that should the Catalan giants miss out on Lautaro, which is likely given his hefty $129M release cause and the financial ramifications facing Barcelona due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will turn to the Gabonese ace as he is their back-up target.
Mikel Arteta recently admitted that quickly wrapping up the 31-year-old's contract situation is ideal. The Arsenal top scorer proved his worth once again in the FA Cup semi-final, scoring a brace against Man City to captain his side into the final. Keeping Aubameyang could make or break the Gunners' summer transfer window.
