After ending their efforts to sign Álvaro Morata, Barcelona shifted their focus to Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
On Sunday, Mundo Deportivo reported the La Liga side have ‘everything agreed’ with both the Gunners and the forward, but his transfer depends on Ousmane Dembélé leaving the Camp Nou.
Then later reports stated the move could be completed with the Frenchman’s departure.
Earlier on Monday, the 32-year-old was pictured outside an airport in Barcelona and it gave an impression his move to the Catalan club was edging closer.
That, however, may not be the case.
Journalist Sique Rodríguez told Què T’hi Jugues the player’s signing at Barcelona has become ‘complicated’ and his transfer is ‘not as close as it seemed’. It’s said it is ‘very difficult to close his signing because the positions are too far apart’.
His arrival at the airport ‘does not help’ the situation.
Over at AS, they are also reporting Aubameyang’s signing is ‘difficult, but not impossible’. The Catalan club are ‘working against the clock’ to try and fit him into their squad and not breach their ‘fair play’ regulations, even if Dembélé were to continue at Barca.
🚨⚽️ ÚLTIMA HORA DEL MERCAT DE FITXATGES
‼️ La negociació amb Aubameyang està oberta, però és molt difícil que es tanqui el fitxatge perquè les postures estan massa allunyades 🤔 La imatge del futbolista a l'aeroport no ajuda
▶️ Informa @SiqueRodriguez al #QTJ#FCBlive pic.twitter.com/cCFMq69VGE
— Què T'hi Jugues (@QueThiJugues) January 31, 2022
“It can be, but it won’t be easy at all,” a source told AS on the possibility of signing the Arsenal player even without the exit.
His arrival in Spain is evidence the Arsenal player is willing to substantially reduce the salary. This means Mikel Arteta’s man could ‘go on to receive practically the minimum established by the Professional Football League, imitating in this case to Daniel Alves’.
AS further states the ‘margin of manoeuvre is so small that it would take almost a miracle to be able to bring Aubameyang to Barcelona. In addition, the medical review would also remain as a mandatory step before signing until June 30. And it is that we must not forget that the Gabonese attacker was left out of the Africa Cup due to a heart problem caused by the coronavirus’.
Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo explain Barcelona and Arsenal had ‘practically closed’ the agreement for Samuel Umtiti’s transfer to the Emirates, before he suffered his latest injury setback.
There was even a talk of a swap deal involving the French defender and Aubameyang, and Umtiti’s exit would have facilitated the Arsenal player’s arrival. This possibility was ruled out after the injury blow.
