After a lot of dilly and dally, Aubameyang has finally managed to secure a move out of Arsenal and join Spanish side FC Barcelona but it looks like this transfer has come at some cost for the Gunners.
After being frozen out of the squad for some time, the Gabon international was given a way out by Barca with Xavi wanting him in his squad. But there was a time when it looked like the deal would not go through.
After some minor hindrances, Barca have finally been able to register the forward, following which Aubameyang posted a farewell message on Instagram to show his love and appreciation for the Arsenal fans.
Aubameyang wrote on Instagram: “Thank you for making London home for myself and my family for the past four years. We went through ups and downs together and your support meant everything to me.
“I have always been 100 per cent focused and committed on doing everything I can for this club which is why leaving without a real goodbye hurts – but that is football.”
OFFICIAL | @FCBarcelona have registered @Auba in #LaLigaSantander! 💙📝❤
👋 WELCOME! 👋 pic.twitter.com/ERRUuHpCbm
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) February 2, 2022
The Gunners have since revealed that the forward’s contract was terminated by mutual consent and he was allowed to join Barcelona for free. But according to the latest reports, the Gunners had to shell out some money to be able to see the exit of Aubameyang.
How much did Arsenal pay Aubameyang?
According to a report in The Times, Arsenal had to pay £7m for Auba to become a free agent.
This is obviously a prominent price considering the forward was of no use to Mikel Arteta but had he been allowed to run down his contract at the club then the Gunners would have had to shell out around £30m in the form of wages.
The forward had netted only four goals in 14 Premier League games this season so paying £7m to him so that Barcelona can sign him as a free agent might be a hard pill to swallow for many.
By doing this though, the Gunners have managed to significantly reduce their wage bills meaning they can once again make moves for the big players. On the flip side, Arsenal have really thinned out their attacking department and now it will be really hard for them to secure a top-four finish with such a small squad. If the Gunners cannot secure a European spot then all this locker-room clearing will go in vain since no big-name player will be ready to commit their future to the club next season.
