Chelsea are set to sanction an exit for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer, with the striker readying a move to French side Olympique Marseille. That's according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who reports that the Gabon international is set to make the move after just one-year after joining the Blues from Barcelona.
The former Arsenal captain has agreed a three-year deal with Marseille, with medical tests planned for Thursday. Chelsea won't be set to receive a transfer fee for Aubameyang, allowing him to leave on a free move this summer, but crucially moving his wages on. It hands Mauricio Pochettino another boost in the summer transfer window as his ideal starts to take shape in pre-season.
The west London side struggled with a bloated playing squad in the previous campaign as a number of changes were made between each game, struggling to gain consistency in teams and results. Goal scoring was another concern, having only scored 38 goals in 38 Premier League games, an issue that Aubameyang wasn't able to address.
The 34-year-old joined the side under former boss Thomas Tuchel, but only played a few minutes for him before he was dismissed. Managerial appointments of Graham Potter and then Frank Lampard on an interim basis resulted in very few opportunities to shine in the side, making 21 appearances with just three goals scored over 900 minutes of action.
With an exit towards Marseille set for completion in the coming days, Pochettino can continue shaping his squad towards those he will work with. Aubameyang has been excluded from the team on tour in the USA and with another move all but complete, focus may be able to turn towards incomings.
A whole rework of the forward lines is underway, with Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson set to spearhead the attack, with other potential additions in the near future.