Chelsea are reportedly close to completing a swap deal for Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Marcos Alonso poised to leave.
The Blues have spent much of the summer looking for attacking reinforcements after letting Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner go earlier in the transfer window.
Aubameyang has emerged as their primary target in recent weeks, with Barcelona ready to move the 33-year-old after signing Robert Lewandowski this summer.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea are close to finalising a deal for the former Arsenal striker, which would see left-back Marcos Alonso move in the opposite direction.
Related: Chelsea ‘Closing In On Aubameyang, Marcos Alonso Swap Deal’
Chelsea will reportedly pay Barcelona a transfer fee of roughly £6.4m in addition to Alonso joining the Spanish giants.
Thomas Tuchel’s men are said to be prepared to offer Aubameyang a two-year contract with the option of an additional year based on his percentage of appearances in his second season at the club.
The Gabonese international played with Arsenal for four years, scoring 68 goals in 128 Premier League matches and 92 goals in 163 overall appearances.
However, the striker’s stint in North London came to an end in acrimony last season when he clashed with manager Mikel Arteta, was stripped of captaincy, and then sold in the January transfer window.
Aubameyang scored 11 goals in 17 appearances for Barcelona in the second half of last season, but has slid down the pecking order since the arrival of Lewandowski.
Meanwhile, Alonso joined Chelsea in 2016 and has made over 200 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 29 goals.
The 31-year-old has helped the team win the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup during that period.
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