Barcelona prioritise Arsenal’s Aubameyang if Martinez deal fails

Barcelona have prioritised signing Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if they cannot land Inter striker Lautaro Martinez this summer.

That is according to Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio, who claims the Gabonese striker is now the main alternative for the Blaugrana whose attempts to sign Martinez are becoming increasingly complicated.

The Catalan giants cannot afford to pay the Argentine striker’s €111m release clause and the Milanese club are said to be unwilling to negotiate this down.

The only possibility is that Barcelona include several players plus cash in an exchange deal, but this is complicated by Inter’s demands, the fact that Barca’s playing squad is already limited and the players themselves having to agree to any terms.

Aubameyang is out of contract in 2021 so the North London club are likely to cash-in on him rather than risk losing him on a free transfer, with Real Madrid and the Catalan giants among the clubs who have been heavily linked.

Aubameyang prolific for the club since his January 2018 switch from the Bundesliga, scoring 61 goals in 98 appearances.

In March, a report in Diario Sport claimed that the Gabonese star would be willing to force a move to the Camp Nou this summer and he looks increasingly likely to exit the North London club.

It is said by the report that the Blaugrana met with the 30-year-old’s representatives back in January when they became aware of a long-term injury to Luis Suarez.

Tags Lautaro Martinez Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
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