Aubameyang to Chelsea: Inbound striker will be playing with Arsenal tattoo on his arm

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is closing on a return to the Premier League with Chelsea.

Aubameyang only left England at the start of 2022 to sign for Barcelona, but his return is all but confirmed as he reunites with Thomas Tuchel.

The 33-year-old spent four years leading the line for Arsenal before falling out of favour and making the move to the Nou Camp earlier this year, but worked under Tuchel before that at Borussia Dortmund.

Aubameyang thrived under Tuchel during their time together in Germany and his numbers in front of goal were enough to convince Arsenal to part with some £56 million to sign him in January 2018.

His time as a Gunner ended rather sourly as he fell out of favour at the club and left after being suspended from the first-team, but Chelsea look set to take a chance on him, with Fabrizio Romano stating a full agreement has been reached.

The transfer will see Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso head the other way and adds some much needed firepower to the Blues’ attacking line, particularly following the departure of Timo Werner earlier in the window.

Eyebrows have been raised over Chelsea‘s decision to sign Aubameyang, particularly due to how things ended between himself and Arsenal upon signing for Barcelona.

It is clear, though, that the Gabonese forward is a player who is highly regarded by Tuchel, from their time together in Dortmund between 2015 and 2017.

For all the fanfare surrounding Aubameyang and how he might prove problematic for Chelsea – or at the very least merely a short-term fix – there is no denying his obvious abilities in front of goal. When on it, the man is a machine and ruthless finisher, blessed with awareness, leadership and technical ability.

There is also no denying, though, that