Former Barcelona director Jordi Cruyff has this weekend admitted that the club were essentially left with no choice but to part with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Frontman Aubameyang linked up with Barcelona back in January of 2022, after the termination of his contract terms with Arsenal.
And the Gabonese international went on to enjoy a hugely successful first half-season in Catalunya’s capital, racking up 11 goals across 17 La Liga appearances.
As much saw Aubameyang – who repeatedly made clear his delight with pulling on the famed colours of the Blaugrana – quickly establish himself as something of a fan favourite.
In turn, it came as a heavy blow for club and player alike when, just six months on from his arrival, the now-34-year-old was moved on.
‘Auba’ secured a swift return to the Premier League, putting pen to paper on terms with another of London’s giants, in Chelsea.
If the latest comments on the part of the aforementioned Jordi Cruyff are anything to go by, however, then the prolific attacker’s sale was not one which those behind the scenes in Barcelona were happy to sanction.
Speaking in an interview with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Cruyff, who worked as a technical director alongside Mateu Alemany, hinted that the move came purely for financial reasons:
“If it had been up to us, we would have liked Aubameyang to stay for several years,” the Dutchman admitted, as cited by Mundo Deportivo.
Conor Laird | GSFN
