La Liga giants Barcelona are thought to be keen on bringing Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the Camp Nou in a swap deal that would see midfielder Phillipe Coutinho head in the other direction.
Barca are on the prowl for a new striker, given new signing Sergio Aguero has sustained an injury that is likely to put him out of action for at least 10 weeks before he has kicked a ball for the Catalan side.
Aubameyang's form for the Gunners has dipped remarkably since he penned a new three-year deal with the side back in the summer of 2020, the Arsenal skipper scoring just ten Premier League goals last season, less than half of his tally from the previous campaign.
The Gabon international missed Arsenal's opening game of the new season, a humbling 2-0 defeat at the hands of newly-promoted outfit Brentford.
Both Aubameyang and fellow Gunners striker Alexandre Lacazette were absent for the clash and are expected to miss Sunday's contest against Chelsea due to 'illness'.
The Arsenal captain has been identified by Barcelona who were originally rumoured to be interested in Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham.
Abraham has since all but completed a move to Serie A outfit AS Roma, touching down in Italy this weekend to seal the deal.
As a result, Barca have been forced to look elsewhere for a proven goal-getter in the wake of Aguero's injury and Lionel Messi's controversial exit.
According to Sky Sports, Barca have offered up Brazilian star Coutinho in exchange as part of the proposal, the former Liverpool man deemed surplus to requirements by those at the top of the Camp Nou hierarchy.
Would Coutinho for Aubameyang be a good swap for Arsenal? Have your say here.
Given Mikel Arteta's side are currently in dire need of someone to pull the attacking strings behind a misfiring attack force starved of service, Coutinho could prove to be tempting.
However, the player himself is thought to favour a move to a Champions League club, though his list of potential suitors does not boast many names from the European elite.
Coutinho's prior experience with the Premier League would suggest he requires little to no time to adjust to the rigours of English football, another positive in the eyes of the Arsenal boss.
Get your hands on your club's special edition 2021/22 annual. Find out more here
