For the past few days, Arsenal captain and top goal-scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with a move away from the club. Spanish giants Barcelona were reportedly interested in bringing in the Gabon man’s services on loan.
He would have been signed to replace the injured Luis Suárez. However, the Blaugrana seem to be stepping away.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Ruled Out of Barcelona Loan
Conflicting Reports
According to Le10 Sport, Aubameyang had given the “green light” to a move to Barcelona.
Reports in Spain claimed that Gabon’s talisman has told the Spanish club that he would be willing to join them. However, Mikel Arteta has completely dismissed these links. Metro reports that Aubameyang, according to the Arsenal manager, is happy at the club and is willing to stay.
Furthermore, the fact that Arsenal’s top scorer is getting on into his 30s, as well as his need to adapt to Barca’s style, strays Quique Setién away from a deal. A star such as Aubameyang would definitely be at the top of Arsenal’s list of players who must stay.
All of this has resulted in Barcelona drifting their interests away from Aubameyang. However, they still need a good fill-in for Suárez.
Targets Other Than Aubameyang
With their money spending power, Barcelona can definitely sway players easily, as shown with Auba. But, who exactly could they sign?
Rodrigo
Valencia’s man up top, Rodrigo, is a player on Barcelona’s hotlist. The 28-year-old cousin of Bayern’s Thiago has been talked highly of by Quique Setién himself.
“[Rodrigo] is an extraordinary footballer,” it was said of the Valencia star. “He can complicate [matters for] any team. He is key to any team [he plays for] and in this case to Valencia.”
It’s obvious the higher-ups at the club value the striker, and this has led many fans to believe that he can be the short term solution to Luis Suárez’s injury woes. Moreover, at his age, he could even become a replacement for Suárez.
Olivier Giroud
Former Arsenal striker Oliver Giroud would be an interesting option for the Catalan side. Ever since moving to Chelsea, playing time has become more scarce each year. At 32, Giroud would benefit from a move away.
Even if it is in the short term, while Suárez is out, Giroud can use his experience to help Barcelona. The former Ligue 1 champion has only played five times for Chelsea this season and desperately needs to get his career back on track.
If Giroud were to move, he’d surely prefer filling in for Luis Suárez over being benched by Tammy Abraham.
Will Barcelona sign anybody of this calibre, or will they use what they have? Luckily enough, they do have Antoine Griezmann to potentially fill in if they cannot sign anyone. What they do remains to be seen.
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