Barcelona Will Reportedly Go For Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang If Lautaro Martinez Deal Fails

Barcelona will reportedly not hesitate to pursue Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if the Lautaro Martinez deal fails.

Barcelona’s search for an attacker has brought the club into a long courtship with Inter Milan striker Martinez. The Argentine has been Barca’s first option, but recent reports claimed that the deal could still collapse due to the money involved in the transfer. This has led to some rumors claiming that Barcelona is now considering Arsenal’s Aubameyang.

According to Sky Sports (via Besoccer.com), Aubameyang, who has already been linked to Barcelona in recent weeks, could possibly be a second option if the club wouldn’t be able to haggle for Martinez.

It has been said that Martinez’s price tag seemed too high for the Catalans, and it is the reason why the deal is still not sealed. The report further stated that Martinez’s situation would benefit Aubameyang as the Arsenal star is considered to be the “low cost” option for Barcelona.

It was also pointed out that in case Inter stands firm with their demands, which is reportedly around €111 million ($125.5 million) for Martinez, the Catalan club would not hesitate to reach out to Aubameyang.

At 31, Aubameyang has proven that he can still be an attacking threat. He might not have the same qualities as the younger Martinez, but according to the report, Auabameyang’s game still makes him a guaranteed alternative for Barcelona.

Aubameyang's contract with Arsenal will expire in June 2021. Though there’s still a lot of time for Mikel Arteta’s side to make decisions, the Gunners are still at risk of losing Aubameyang for free if they fail to reach an agreement within a year.

Despite the rumors swirling around Arsenal regarding the possibility of Aubameyang leaving the club, Arteta has remained confident about keeping his star player, Talksport reported.

“We have many discussions with Pierre, with his family and his agent. I’m pretty positive we can find the right agreement for all parties. I think it is our responsibility to make him feel this is the right next step in his career,” Arteta said.

The Arsenal boss further explained that what Aubameyang needs at this point is to feel valued and wanted by the team.

“In order to do that he needs to feel valued, he needs to feel he belongs to us and that we want him,” he explained.

This season, Aubameyang has scored a total of 17 goals with an average of 0.62 goals for every 90 minutes on the pitch.