Chelsea are reportedly facing an obstacle in their bid to sign Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as they are yet to agree the terms of his contract at Stamford Bridge.
According to The Sun, Aubameyang’s potential £25million transfer to join the Blues is stalling because of contract negotiations.
It is understood Chelsea are currently refusing to offer the 33-year-old a two-year deal and want him to agree to a one-year contract. Apparently, the player wants a minimum of two years if he’s to return to the Premier League.
The report says it’s hoped a compromise will be reached before the transfer deadline day on the summer window next week.
Aubameyang contract at Chelsea
The policy of handing out long-term deals to players aged 30-plus makes sense, but Chelsea can’t afford to mess this Aubameyang negotiation up.
A two-year contract for the Barcelona forward looks fair, especially as his goalscoring is showing no signs of slowing down.
It’s been reported Blues manager Thomas Tuchel is desperate for this transfer to be finalised, so the club need to wrap this up quickly by altering their stance.
For context, 31-year-old defender Kalidou Koulibaly was given a four-year contract by Chelsea earlier this summer when he joined from Napoli.
Aubameyang, who’s previously been called “incredible” by Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, needs to be signed.
It seems quite late in the window for a new No.9 target to emerge, so getting the Aubameyang deal over the line is a no-brainer.
He may not be a youngster with a really long-term future, but there’s no reason he can’t succeed for a couple of years if he’s driven and settles quickly.
Chelsea’s best bet of finally fixing the problem in their striker position may be by trusting a more experienced frontman with real pedigree in front of goal.
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