Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not an option for Barcelona
Barcelona has denied the latest rumor linking the club to Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in exchange for Philippe Coutinho.
In ESPN’s Transfer Talk, the Catalans were reportedly interested in either one of Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette. The duo were offered to them from Arsenal as the Premier League side are keen on lowering their wages.
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The Catalans find themselves in the same scenario so it was unlikely they would be interested in either of them. The link comes after manager Ronald Koeman mentioned he was hoping the club would bring in another striker following the injury to Sergio Agüero.
The talk later turned into a possible swap deal between the two sides which would have seen Coutinho head the other way.
Barcelona have not thrown out idea of keeping the Brazilian playmaker
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian’s entourage has also denied the possibility of Coutinho being involved in a trade deal. Furthermore, despite not being on the match day squad against Real Sociedad, their belief is Barcelona count on him and will be an important part of the team.
He was given the medical green light ahead of the game against Juventus in the Joan Gamper but did not feature then nor in the season opener.
The club has not made it a secret that they would prefer to move him on to get rid of his wages. So far, they’ve yet to get any decent offer from anywhere. They would accept a loan but what they are reluctant to do is pay any part of his wages in a loan deal.
Next. Martin Braithwaite staking his claim at Barcelona. dark
If it were up to Koeman, Coutinho would stay as he backed him last season before the player’s injury. Whether Barça back Koeman is another issue. With only a few weeks left in the transfer window, they are running out of time and soon will need to make their final decision.