Cash-strapped Barcelona have told Chelsea they want £21million for striker Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang, just seven months after signing him on a free transfer.
Chelsea held talks with the LaLiga giants over the weekend and are prepared to make an offer this week but for considerably less.
Barcelona target Marcos Alonso has been discussed as part of negotiations to head in the opposite direction.
Chelsea will have to pay £21million to seal a deal Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona
The Blues want to pay considerably less and will offer Marcos Alonso as part of the deal
The ex-Arsenal star has scored 11 goals in 13 starts since joining the Catalan giants in January but has now fallen down the pecking order following the club’s £42.5million purchase of Robert Lewandowski and the need of cashing in on a few players.
Barcelona have been Europe’s biggest summer spenders despite the club going through a torrid financial crisis and over £1billion in debt.
The Spanish side have managed to register the majority of their new signings, but have still be unable to register defender Jules Kounde, who joined from Sevilla earlier this summer due to the ongoing money issues.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has overseen a major summer spending spree despite going through a torrid financial crisis and over £1billion in debt
One way of raising the funds is by selling current squad members, with Aubameyang one of the favourites along with Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay to leave Spain this summer, despite only arriving at Barcelona in January.
The Blues are chasing down Aubameyang to help the void left in attack with Romelu Lukaku re-joining Inter Milan on loan and Timo Werner heading back to RB Leipzig for £25million.
Boss Thomas Tuchel is keen to link back up with the 33-year-old forward after developing a positive relationship at Borussia Dortmund and would like to add a proven goal-scorer to his Chelsea ranks.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel developed a solid relationship with Aubameyang at Dortmund
In two years under Tuchel’s stewardship at Borussia Dortmund, Aubameyang scored 79 goals in 95 appearances and finishing the second of those seasons as the Bundesliga’s top scorer.
The Gabon international scored 68 goals in 128 Premier League matches during his time at Arsenal before things went sour and he was frozen out by Mikel Arteta.
It is believed Aubameyang is, however, not actively pursuing a Barcelona exit, having rediscovered his goal-scoring touch since joining LaLiga.
Tuchel is still keen to add further to his squad as he looks to rebuild his Chelsea squad
His contract runs until 2025 – including a break clause added in for 2023, therefore his future remains in his own hands.
Chelsea have already signed Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly , Marc Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka.
But Tuchel is keen to add further to his squad after also losing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers this summer along with Lukaku and Werner heading out the door.