Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang agrees to join Barcelona on loan - Reports

Arsenal outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has agreed a loan move to Barcelona, according to reports. Football pundit Fabrizio Romano revealed on Sunday that the Gunners are ready to let their out-of-favor skipper leave.

However, the Gabonese striker will have to wait and see if the Catalans are able to offload Ousmane Dembele first. The Frenchman was asked to leave the club immediately after he refused to take a pay cut or sign a new contract. The winger now faces the prospect of being frozen out by manager Xavi.

He's been linked to a few sides but nothing has come through yet and the transfer window is set to shut in just a few hours from now. If a deal is indeed struck at the eleventh hour, it will facilitate Aubameyang's transfer and put an end to his Arsenal nightmare.

The 32-year-old was stripped off the captaincy last month for a disciplinary breach with head coach Mikel Arteta also ostracizing him from the squad ever since. His time at the Emirates seems to be over, although Aubameyang's contract with the north London side runs until June 2023.

The Spanish club will be a great place to resurrect his career as the former Saint-Etienne striker hopes to re-establish himself among the world's best fowards. However, the club is currently not in a financial state to pay his wages in full, and are hoping to negotiate a lower package.

He was also offered a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr but the striker wasn't ready to leave Europe just yet.

Signed for a then-club record fee of £56 million from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, Aubameyang has been a bang for Arsenal's buck. In 163 games across all competitions, he netted 92 goals and provided 21 assists, while lifting two titles and one Premier League Golden Boot.

Arsenal are lining up replacement in the form of Alvaro Morata

Despite Aubameyang's transfer still hanging in the balance, Arsenal have already lined up a replacement in the form of Juventus striker Alvaro Morata.

The former Chelsea player has been contacted by Arteta's side over a loan move and the Spaniard is ready to leave as the Bianconeri have signed Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina. Barcelona have also been linked with the 29-year-old but Atletico Madrid, his parent club, won't entertain the idea of selling him to a direct rival.

Arsenal's current options in the striker's position (besides Aubameyang), Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette, have both been highly unreliable. The London club desperately need some more firepower to lead their line for the second half of their 2021-22 campaign.