Revealed: Arsenal paid Aubameyang £7m to terminate contract

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been confirmed as a Barcelona player after agreeing a contract with the Spanish club until 2025, when he will be 36.

The Gabon striker left Arsenal on a free transfer that required the north London club to pay him a lump sum, believed to be almost £7 million, to terminate his £350,000-a-week contract with them.

Aubameyang, who trained with Barcelona for the first time on Tuesday, is believed to have taken a pay cut to join the club. The 32-year-old’s Barcelona contract includes a €100 million (about £83 million) release clause and an option to agree his departure after 18 months in the summer of 2023.

Aubameyang joined Arsenal four years ago from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth around £60m.

He shone at the Emirates for the majority of his stint, scoring 54 league goals in his first 85 games as the Gunners continued to cement their place in European competition.

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This stellar form was rewarded with a bumper £350,000-per-week contract and the captain’s armband, which Aubameyang took in his stride.

But from here his output went downhill with just 14 goals in 43 league matches, which was not enough to save the club from failing to qualify for Europe for the first time in 27 years.

After being stripped of the captaincy in December for a spate of disciplinary issues, Arsenal felt it was best to release their man, which despite saving them £27m in wages, reportedly cost them an eye-watering £7m upfront.