“A very hard day” – Aubameyang ‘very happy’ to have sealed Arsenal exit, ‘can’t wait’ to get cracking

It’s finally happened: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a new Barcelona player after cutting short his contract with Arsenal.

In what was a crazy deadline day for the Blaugrana, the striker arrived in the city, seemingly unprompted, only for him to stay there and force a move away from the Gunners.

Everything was sorted out at the last minute, and it was announced on Wednesday morning that Arsenal and the striker had mutually agreed to part ways.

It then didn’t take long for Barcelona to announce the player, who had a few words to say following the reveal that he was now going to be contracted at the Nou Camp.

He said, relayed by Mundo Deportivo: “I’m very happy to be here and I really can’t wait to get out on the pitch. In the end it was done. It was a very hard day, but in the end I’m here, eager and very happy. It’s one of the largest clubs in the world and it’s an honour for me to be here. That’s why I signed for Barcelona”.

Barcelona were in dire need of attacking reinforcements and spent much of the transfer window trying to accommodate some arrivals, first signing Ferran Torres before returning to the Premier League for Adama Traoré and, of course, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Whether he plays immediately remains to be seen, but he is now under contract at Barcelona until 2025, with a release clause of €100m.