In a surprising turn of events, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the 34-year-old Gabon international, has agreed to join Olympique de Marseille on a three-year deal, leaving Chelsea on a free transfer. The move marks a return to Ligue 1 for Aubameyang, who last played in France for Saint-Etienne back in 2013 before his move to Germany with Dortmund.
Chelsea, who signed Aubameyang for £12m less than a year ago, have decided to let him go for nothing. The decision comes after Aubameyang's challenging stint in west London, where he played for just 59 minutes under Thomas Tuchel and saw his form dip under Graham Potter. Aubameyang leaves Chelsea after scoring just three times in 22 appearances.
The striker had reportedly attracted interest from the MLS and Saudi Arabia, but he opted to stay in Europe and return to France. Aubameyang is due to undergo a medical in Marseille, and all parties believe the deal will go through in the coming days.
Aubameyang's move to Marseille could potentially reinvigorate his career. His first-ever trophy came during his spell with Saint-Etienne, the Coupe de la Ligue in 2012/13, and he'll now hope to go one further by winning the Ligue 1 title with Marseille. Paris Saint-Germain remain the dominant force in France, but Marseille haven't been far off in recent years. They finished second and 15 points off the leaders in 2021/22, then dropped to third but rose to 12 points off the top in 2022/23.
The third-place finish has Marseille in the Champions League qualifiers this season. If they can win their qualification tie, they might yet get a match-up with Arsenal in the group stage. This move could mark a new chapter in Aubameyang's career, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how he performs in his return to French football.
