Barcelona were invested in the transfer window till the last minute as they were trying to secure two deals from two different clubs. The first one was for Nicolas Tagliafico from Ajax and the second one was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal. The first deal did not go through in the end and Barca had to make the second one go through if they wanted to make the transfer window a success. Their striker position has been vacant since the departure of Luis Suarez and Luuk de Jong and Martin Braithwaite were just not enough. Thus, it was vital to bring in a striker this window.
The Catalans wanted to go for Alvaro Morata first however, they were unable to do so because Atletico Madrid does not want to let him out on a loan again. Aubameyang was their second choice however, even bringing him in was a huge ordeal because he had a huge wage at Arsenal and his new contract with Barca would have significantly lower wages. However, the player wanted to move to the Catalan side and thus there was heavy negotiation from both sides. Most people did not even know whether Barca were trying to buy the player or loan the player however, now it has all been revealed.
Aubameyang officially joins Barcelona
🎙 @Auba: ❝This is like a dream, I don't want to wake up❞ 😍 pic.twitter.com/FRV2w2ghh6
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 3, 2022
Barcelona has revealed that the player moved to their club on a free transfer and his contract runs till 2025 however, there is an option for him to departure in 2023 as well. The player had to significantly lower the wage that he was getting at the London club however, he wants to play for Barca and end his amazing career in style. He is still one of the best in his position and his speed makes him a very intimidating attacker. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the Xavi philosophy however, with his years of experience, it will not be too hard to settle down into a new system.
Will Aubameyang succeed at Barcelona?