Happy January transfer window deadline day everyone! The biggest and most compelling deal of the day seems to be Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shockingly moving to FC Barcelona. The Gabonese striker was once the face of the franchise, but now he’s headed to Barca on a free (according to multiple outlets).
If that seems surprising, well, he’s fallen out of favor at The Emirates, after being stripped of the captaincy, and he hasn’t featured since December 6th.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang joins Barcelona, done deal and here we go. Contract agreed and now set to be signed by Aubameyang in Barcelona headquarters. Medical successfully completed. ?? #FCB
Arsenal will save his huge salary as they wanted. Deal in place. #AFC #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/IZEDCj2Zky
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2022
Aubameyang found himself persona non grata with the club after having multiple problems with disciplinary issues.
He’s also dealt with a lot of problems that are not his own fault. The 32-year-old was sent home from the Africa Cup of Nations after medical tests detected cardiac lesions. He had also previously tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving at the tournament.
Auba and Arsenal are a divorce that was long overdue, and he took a pay cut to seal the deal. He was obviously motivated in part by the idea that staying in north London would mean more time frozen out of his own squad.
Speaking of his salary, the Catalan club will be picking that up, meaning Arsenal gets that off the books now. It’s a major win for them, eliminating that sunk cost.
The 18 months left on his contract was total dead weight for them, and it is believed that getting him off the ledger will mean about $33.6 million saved over that time.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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