The former Arsenal captain left Barcelona in an attempt to reunite with former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea where he believed a return to the Premier League could revive his career.
At Barcelona started 13 games and made 17 league appearances for the club in La Liga that season, scoring eleven goals and providing one assist. However, after financial trouble the club were forced to sell players to balance the books and Aubameyang’s name was first on the list.
Tuchel, however, was dismissed almost immediately after Aubameyang’s arrival, and the striker’s move to West London suddenly seemed like a mistake. Speaking to Canal+, the Gabonese forward spoke openly on the failed move.
“That was a big mistake going there. It was a f*****g big mistake.”
“At that time I had a bad moment in Barcelona. I had a home break-in and Barca needed to sell a player — me or Memphis Depay — and the only thing that was on the table was Chelsea. So I said OK, for my family, I will move away, even if it’s Chelsea…
“I was thinking maybe it will be okay, Olivier Giroud went from Arsenal to Chelsea and he had no problems, but for me it was different.”
Aubameyang is currently playing for Marseille after a brief spell in Suadi Arabia with Al Qadsiah. He also still guides Gabon who are pushing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as his career slowly winds down at the age of 36.