Barcelona announced on Wednesday that former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a contract extension until 2025.
“The player will sign a contract until June 30, 2025, with an option to agree departure on June 30, 2023,” said the club on their website, adding that the deal for the 32-year-old included a 100 million euros ($113 million) buyout clause.
“Aubameyang is a remarkably fast striker and has an eye for goal, having racked up over 300 as a professional. His powerful but accurate shooting have made him one of the most feared goal-getters in the European game,” said the statement.
Arsenal, Aubameyang’s previous club, released him on Tuesday. That allowed the striker, who was already in Spain, to sign as a free agent with Barcelona after the transfer market closed on Monday night.
Aubameyang’s Arsenal salary, which began at roughly 300,000 euros ($337,000) per week, is thought to have been significantly reduced.
Aubameyang joined Arsenal for a reported 56 million pounds from Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the January transfer window in 2018, a club record at the time. He played 165 competitive games for the club in almost exactly four years, scoring 92 goals.
Last season, Aubameyang was benched for a north London derby after coming late for a team meeting, and in December, he was deprived of his captaincy for “his latest disciplinary transgression,” according to Arsenal.
Arsenal postponed announcing Aubameyang’s departure as a show of respect to Barcelona, according to the British Press Association. Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, hinted on Tuesday that the official unveiling may happen later this week.
