Manchester United are ready to battle it out with Chelsea to sign Barcelona star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer, according to The Sun.
The Red Devils are eager to bolster their attack before the transfer deadline, and it has recently emerged that contacts are underway with Atletico Madrid for Matheus Cunha.
The club are ready to let Cristiano Ronaldo leave before the transfer deadline, and The Sun claim that United could also compete with the Blues for Aubameyang’s signature.
The Gabon star was considered by the Red Devils last winter before he left Arsenal on a free transfer to join Barcelona. They appear to have revived their transfer pursuit.
Still, the club face a tough task of convincing him to join them ahead of the Blues as the 33-year-old would want the assurance of Champions League football if he leaves.
Man Utd should stay away from Aubameyang
Aubameyang is a proven Premier League striker, having netted 68 goals and 16 assists from 128 outings.
However, he is a player past his prime. The former Borussia Dortmund man looked out of sorts with the Gunners in 2020/21 and the trend continued during the first half of last season.
After multiple disciplinary breaches, he was dropped from the Arsenal squad altogether last December, and there were no surprises when he mutually terminated his deal in January.
Aubameyang managed to turn around his fortunes at Barcelona with 13 goals last term, but he is no longer an assured starter for them after Robert Lewandowski’s arrival from Bayern.
The Gabon ace has a good track record in the English top-flight, but his last 18 months with the Gunners is a big warning sign that United should stay away from pursuing his signature.
It could end up into another Alexis Sanchez situation with a player on big wages and unable to deliver. Aubameyang’s disciplinary record may also not go well with manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag dropped a player in pre-season for arriving late for two team meetings. With Aubameyang, it could rather be with regular frequency. This could create further unrest within the squad.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are eyeing a hefty fee of between £21-24 million for his services despite signing him on a free last winter. Losing him to Chelsea won’t be a transfer blow for United.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
