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Chelsea are reportedly keen to sign Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the close of the transfer window.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea have offered £15 million plus Spanish left-back Marcos Alonso to Barcelona in exchange for the Gabon striker. The Catalan giants are believed to be seeking a fee in the region of £25 million for the former Arsenal star.
However, they could consider the Blues' offer as they have been keen to sign Alonso and are in desperate need of funds to sign and register new players.
Chelsea have been left desperately short of strikers following the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, who returned to Inter Milan and RB Leipzig respectively.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has emerged as a target for the west London club. Thomas Tuchel is reportedly keen to reunite with the former Borussia Dortmund striker at Stamford Bridge this summer. The 33-year-old joined Barcelona on a free transfer in January and went on to score 11 goals in just 17 La Liga games for the club.
The Gabon international helped the Blaugranas finish second in La Liga last season and is an integral member of Barca's squad. Despite Xavi's eagerness to keep hold of the striker, the club could be forced to sell him this summer due to their dire financial situation.
Chelsea could look to take advantage of the Catalan giants' current predicament and their interest in Marcos Alonso by offering the left-back plus £15 million in exchange for Aubameyang.
Barca have been heavily linked with Alonso over the last couple of weeks. As per The Sun, the 31-year-old has agreed personal terms and is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Spanish giants.
Why Barcelona are likely to accept Chelsea's £15 million plus Marcos Alonso offer for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Barca were facing a race against time to register their new signings prior to their La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano last weekend. The club were forced to exercise their fourth economic lever, which involved them selling 25% of Barca Studios to Oprheus Media for €100 million.
They were able to register Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele, and Sergi Roberto prior their clash with Rayo. Dembele and Roberto were considered as new signings as they signed new contracts after the expiration of their previous deals.
However, the Blaugranas were unable to register Jules Kounde and will be without the services of the Frenchman for their clash with Real Sociedad this weekend due to their inability to sell players.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's sale to Chelsea will help Xavi's side register Jules Kounde and sign Marcos Alonso. They could therefore accept the Blues' player plus cash offer.
