ARSENAL were forced to pay Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang £7million to cancel his contract and allow him to join Barcelona on a free transfer, it has been revealed.
However, the Gunners are set to save a whopping £29m in wages by getting him off their books.
The 32-year-old former Arsenal skipper jetted off to Spain to complete a deal on deadline day having not featured for the North London outfit since being stripped of the captaincy last month.
He was initially made to leave with his tail between his legs after talks broke down.
But, according to The Times, Arsenal then paid the requisite fee of £7m to make Aubameyang a free agent so he could seal a move to Barcelona without any complications over the finances.
And The AFC Newsroom are now reporting that getting the Gabon international’s £350,000 a week wages off their bill will save them £29m.
Aubameyang officially posted his goodbye message to Arsenal fans on Tuesday night.
In response to a farewell video from the club, he used just a simple love heart emoji as he departs for the Nou Camp.
The Gunners officially confirmed the star had left the club by mutual consent on Monday.
Arsenal said in their statement: “We wish Auba all the best for the next chapter in his career and thank him for his contribution to the club.”
He leaves after making 162 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 92 goals, and helping the club win the FA Cup in 2020.
Aubameyang spent two-and-a-half years as captain, but was stripped of the role in December after arriving back in the UK late from a trip overseas.
That was seemingly the final straw for boss Mikel Arteta, with the Spaniard freezing Aubameyang out of his squad ever since.
An Arsenal exit was rumoured throughout the January window, and after surprising the Gunners by jetting into Barcelona by himself on deadline day, Aubameyang finally got his wish to leave the club.
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An initial loan deal was mooted, but in the end the club agreed to cancel his contract entirely in order to avoid paying his mammoth wages.
Aubameyang is one of four signings Barca have made in the January transfer window.
They have also acquired forward Ferran Torres from Manchester City, winger Adama Traore from Wolves, and club legend Dani Alves.
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