Chelsea ‘hold talks’ over Aubameyang exit after Champions League snub

Graham Potter reviews Fulham draw

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Chelsea outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be set to leave the club just days after being left out of their Champions League squad by Graham Potter, according to reports. The Blues are said to be holding talks with MLS outfit Los Angeles FC to discuss the potential sale of the striker just six months after his summer arrival from Barcelona.

The 33-year-old was omitted from the squad for the Champions League knockout stages ahead of their last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund, Aubameyang’s former club. The veteran forward was replaced to allow room for the club’s three January arrivals Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Joao Felix.

The decision to bring Felix, on a six-month loan from Atletico Madrid, over Aubameyang on a permanent contract suggested that Potter did not plan to rely on the former Arsenal man.

And it appears Chelsea are keen to offload the £250,000-a-week striker as soon as possible after entering talks with American outfit LAFC, according to Relevo. The MLS transfer window is open until April 24, giving both teams sufficient time to negotiate a deal.

The report also claims that Barcelona had explored bringing Aubameyang back to the Camp Nou in January, but the Catalan giants were prohibited from re-signing him to replace Memphis Depay.

But it now looks like Aubameyang could become the latest Premier League star to head Stateside after a dismal second spell in London. His first stint in the English capital saw him score 92 goals in 163 appearances for Arsenal, having joined for a then-club record £55m fee.

Having fallen out with Mikel Arteta, he headed to Barcelona in January 2022 on an initial six-month deal and made an immediate impression in Spain, scoring 12 goals in his first 17 matches. But the arrival of Robert Lewandowski pushed the France-born forward out of the door, and he sealed a £12m move to Stamford Bridge in August to reunite with Thomas Tuchel.

But Tuchel’s sacking just seven days after Aubameyang arrived immediately put his future under question due to the pair’s close relationship. He began promisingly under Potter, scoring twice in the Champions League group stages, but it soon emerged Kai Havertz would be preferred as the leading No 9.

Aubameyang has scored only three times in 17 outings for the west London club this season and the January signings of Felix and David Fofana have seen him fall further down the pecking order. He was left out of the 20-man squad in the 0-0 draw with Fulham on Friday after his axe from the 25-man Champions League roster was confirmed.

Potter insisted he had no problem with Aubameyang after it emerged the striker flew to Milan on Friday with the club’s permission and admitted he did not deserve to be left out of his squad for the knockout stages.

“Yeah, of course [he’s in my plans]. I had to explain that it was a tough, tough call because he’s done nothing wrong,” Potter said after the game on Friday.

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