25 March 2023 , 14:11
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Chelsea could be set to tear up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract after his recent trip to Barcelona, it has been claimed.
Former Arsenal striker Aubameyang joined the Blues from Barca in August, signing a deal which runs until the summer of 2024. However, with manager Thomas Tuchel sacked just days later and successor Graham Potter preferring other options up front, the Gabon international has barely featured in 2023.
The 33-year-old's five appearances since the turn of the year have all come from the bench, and his last run-out saw him used for just seven minutes in a defeat at Tottenham on February 26. He was cut from the Blues' Champions League squad, and paid his former Barcelona team-mates a visit after their recent Clasico win.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness ), Inter Milan are keeping tabs on Aubameyang's situation amid claims his relationship with his current club has been "torn apart". The Italian club already have one Chelsea striker on loan, with Romelu Lukaku returning to the San Siro over the summer, but the Belgian's future is also uncertain.
Inter are said to be interested in Aubameyang for his goal record, despite holding some reservations over other aspects of his character. The veteran scored 13 goals in just 23 appearances for Barcelona in his half-season at Camp Nou, though he has netted just three times for Chelsea after mostly featuring from the bench.
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The uncertainty over Lukaku comes with the 29-year-old struggling for form and fitness. Injuries have restricted the loanee to less than 1,000 minutes for Inter this season, and he has found the net just five times.
Has Aubameyang played his last game for Chelsea? Have your say in the comments section
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hasn't played a minute for Chelsea since February (AFP via Getty Images)Aubameyang was reunited with Tuchel at Chelsea over the summer, but the German boss was sacked in September and has now taken over at Bayern Munich. Not only was Aubameyang without the manager who signed him, but Tuchel's successor Graham Potter oversaw more big spending in January with the blessing of owner Todd Boehly.
Potter bolstered his attacking ranks with the loan of Joao Felix and the permanent signings of several players including Mykhaylo Mudryk. Felix and Mudryk were added to Chelsea's Champions League squad, as was new record signing Enzo Fernandez, forcing Aubameyang to drop out.
“That’s a challenge," Potter told Sky Sports in February when asked about keeping his big squad happy. "There’s no point denying that because players want to play, and when they’re not playing they’re disappointed - naturally - and you have to acknowledge that and help them with that, and then try and create an environment.”
Aubameyang's action in 2023 amounts to just 123 minutes. He was brought on and then taken off in a league defeat against Manchester City, and also got shorter runouts in the same competition against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham.