Huge twist in Arsenal’s Aubameyang loan to Barcelona

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not be joining Barcelona at the current moment after talks broke down between Barcelona and Arsenal over the terms of the salary.

It appeared as if last ball the 32-year-old would kick for Arsenal would be an injury time miss against Everton on December 6, which also happened to be the final action of the entire game. As it stands, he will be staying at the club.

Continued banishment from the squad following being stripped of the captaincy, the longer this episode carried on the more likely it appeared that there was no way back for Aubameyang. Not being included in the squad that travelled to Dubai hammered that home.

Interest in his services has come from Saudi Arabian duo Al Hilal and Al Nassr, as well as major clubs in Europe like Juventus and Barcelona, with the latter of seeming to win the race to secure his signature. As per David Ornstein, there has been a major twist in the tale.

Huge twist in Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang loan to Barcelona with deal on the brink of collapse after salary disagreements

The deal was set to be a straight loan with it not including either an option or obligation to buy, nor would Barcelona have paid Arsenal a loan fee. However, said loan deal has collapsed due to a disagreement over the what percentage of the salary Barcelona would be covering for the remainder of the season.

Unless there is a major change in Barcelona’s financial proposal, Aubameyang will not be moving to Xavi’s side this month.

Reports surfaced that he had been willing to take a considerable pay cut to facilitate the move, and him even flying to the city on deadline suggested that an amicable conclusion would be met. It turned out neither club was aware of his decision to do so, catching both parties by surprise.

What a gigantic mess.

Given how much water had passed under the bridge it was a deal that had to happen before the deadline day. So to see it on the brink of collapse, if not already dead in the water, is a colossal setback both the player and Arsenal.

His abilities have diminished at a rapid rate and in terms of meaningful contribution to Arsenal this season there was little chance of a blazing return to form. Given how this is panning out, reintegration may be the only option.

If indeed Arteta and Aubameyang can reconcile – it will require some serious counselling – then this could solve the glaring problem Arsenal have. But that is one large ‘if’.