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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Victor

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang breaks silence on Chelsea transfer as he arrives for medical

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has broken his silence ahead of a move from Barcelona to Chelsea.

The Gabon striker is due to leave Barca after less than a year, having joined the Catalan club from Arsenal midway through last season. Chelsea will bring him in on a permanent deal, with Blues left-back Marcos Alonso also expected to be announced as a Barcelona player on deadline day.

Aubameyang was spotted in London as the player and club look to get the final details - including a medical - ironed out. And as he was approached by reporters on the street, he gave a brief verdict on his return to England.

When asked by Sky Sports whether he is looking forward to the challenge at his new club, Aubameyang replies "for sure". "I'm back," he adds, before thanking the reporter.

He agreed that he still had a lot to offer in the Premier League, while saying it was nice to be reunited with Thomas Tuchel. The German was Aubameyang's manager back at Borussia Dortmund, where he scored 98 goals in 141 Bundesliga appearances.

The 33-year-old began last season at Arsenal, where he was club captain at the start of the campaign. However, after a much-publicised falling-out with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, he joined Barca midway through the season and scored an impressive 11 goals in 17 matches in La Liga.

Will Aubameyang be a good signing for Chelsea? Have your say in the comments section

The latest signing follows a busy end to the transfer window. Chelsea completed a deal for Wesley Fofana earlier in the week, with the French defender joining for a fee reported to be in the vicinity of £70m.

Chelsea have been very active in the market since Todd Boehly's takeover earlier in the year. Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling have all joined, with other deals bringing the total expenditure above £250m.

Aubameyang's arrival in London comes after the player was the victim of an armed robbery earlier in the week. He thanked fans for their support after the incident.

"Hey guys, thanks a lot for all the messages," the striker said in a statement. On Sunday night, some violent cowards broke into our home and threatened my family and my children, just to steal some stuff.

"They injured my jaw but I will recover in no time, and thank God no one else was physically harmed. The feeling we are no longer safe in our own home is hard to understand and describe, but as a family, we will overcome this and stand stronger than ever. Thanks for all the support, it really means a lot to us. Auba."

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