Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could soon be heading to the United States with LAFC among the suitors. The future of the Gabon international is currently up in the air after falling down the pecking order at Chelsea. Blues boss Graham Potter recently left Aubameyang off his Champions League shortlist. This means that the 33-year-old striker will not be in the competition for the remainder of the season.
The star striker has had a difficult time since leaving Arsenal a year ago. Although he performed well in Barcelona, ​​Aubameyang was quickly sidelined by Robert Lewandowski. In fact, the Gabonese star scored 11 goals in his first 17 LaLiga games with Barça. However, he was relegated to the bench once the Spanish giants signed Lewandowski.
LAFC needs a goalscorer like Aubameyang after key outings
After just seven months in Spain, Aubameyang moved to Chelsea. And it’s safe to say that his time in West London hasn’t gone as planned. He joins the Los Angeles Soccer Club. The reigning MLS champions recently lost Gareth Bale and Cristian Arango and are in need of some new firepower. Arango led the club in scoring last season.
MLS insider Tom Bogert revealed on Monday that LAFC is currently in talks to possibly sign Aubameyang. However, it is most likely that the American club needs Chelsea to cover a large part of the Gabonese’s salary. Aubameyang’s current contract with the Blues is reportedly around $190,000 per week.
It’s no secret that Aubameyang would like to leave Chelsea. Barcelona was even interested in bringing him back to the Camp Nou in the January window. However, the financial restrictions of the club prevented any possible movement of the player.
Rules could favor a move to MLS
FIFA rules normally prevent a player from representing three different clubs in one season. Although Aubameyang moved to Chelsea in September, he has played one game for Barca this season. This basically rules out the Gabonese playing for another UEFA club.
However, there is a loophole in the rule. FIFA establishes that “a player who moves between two clubs belonging to associations with overlapping seasons (i.e. the season starts in summer/autumn instead of winter/spring) may be eligible to play in official matches for a third season.” club during the corresponding season. With MLS starting its season in February, this transfer could work.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
