Chelsea report: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang happy at Barcelona amid Blues speculation

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would reportedly rather stay at Barcelona than join Chelsea, who are said to be interested in signing the striker.

Aubameyang, 33, continues to be linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge, having only joined Barca in February – following his controversial exit from Arsenal.

But it seems that the Gabon international has no great desire to leave the Camp Nou, despite now having to play second fiddle to summer arrival Robert Lewandowski.

According to Mundo Deportivo (via the Mirror), Aubameyang sees his long-term future with the Catalan giants.

This comes after Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel opened up about his special bond with the player he coached during his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund. Speaking last week, the German said:

"Some players stay your players because you work very, very [closely]; Auba is one of these players. We had a very close relationship."

Such comments are hardly likely to dispel speculation over a reunion between the pair in West London.

However, the Blues are thought to disagree with Aubameyang's valuation by Barca: according to Metro, the three-time European champions would demand a fee around £21m to £23m.

Chelsea have flexed their financial muscles by splashing out more than £160m this transfer window, but even they may struggle to justify such an outlay for a player of Aubameyang's age.