Xavi feels bad for Aubameyang after his transfer from Barcelona to Chelsea
FT Desk
- 4 Sept 2022 10:51 BST
- 3 min read
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Chelsea from Barcelona on the final day of the summer transfer window, and his former manager Xavi feels bad for letting him go.
Aubameyang had an electric six months at Camp Nou, joining on a free from Arsenal in February and ending the campaign as Barca's 13-goal top scorer despite playing just half a season.
But Barca spent big this summer, and the €50 million arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich - a former Borussia Dortmund teammate of Aubameyang - blocked the Gabon captain's path into the Barca first-team for this season.
A message from Auba! 💬 #AubameyangIsChelsea pic.twitter.com/ZmMQRWoR4n
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 2, 2022
Chelsea needed a striker after Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku failed to work out, Barcelona needed an injection of cash, and off Aubameyang went for €12m. It was a good turn of profit for Barca, but Xavi feels guilty.
Xavi: 'Aubameyang's a jewel'
"I feel bad because he helped us a lot," he said "He was an example on and off the pitch. He made a big difference - look at his numbers. As a person, he's a jewel and always training with a smile on his face.
"It's a shame because you want to have these type of players in your squad, but it was a good opportunity for him and for the club as well. We needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together and in the end, I think we’re all happy.
"But I feel bad as a coach to lose a player like Aubameyang. He was an example for the club and for all players"
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A former Arsenal captain who scored 68 goals in 128 Premier League games for the Gunners, Aubameyang's body language was questioned on making his Chelsea transfer announcement on social media.
"That's the fakest speech I've ever heard," on fan posted. "Auba is cringing and dying inside. He knows where his heart belongs."
