CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel appears to have taken a sly dig at Mikel Arteta over his handling of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang was frozen out at Arsenal last season following a disciplinary issue in December.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Thomas Tuchel enjoyed great success together at Borussia Dortmund
Following another window of significant investment, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal look set to seriously challenge for a place in the top four
The ex-Gunners captain was then allowed to join Barcelona in the following January, where he scored 13 goals in 23 games.
Tuchel oversaw Aubameyang’s most prolific period in his career so far, with 79 goals and 17 assists in 95 games at Borussia Dortmund.
Speaking ahead of his side’s crunch London derby against Tottenham, Tuchel said: “I enjoyed a lot working with him. It was a pleasure.
“This has nothing to do with the situation now, but some players stay your players because you were very, very close. We had a very close relationship.
“‘I don’t follow the press about Auba. I don’t know if he has a good press or bad press, I couldn’t care less.”
It was revealed in Arsenal’s All or Nothing series that Arteta had a file on all of Aubameyang’s “misdemeanours” while he was in charge at the club.
Asked about the docuseries’ revelations, Tuchel added: “I never experienced none of this.
“This has nothing to do with the situation at Arsenal which I will also not comment on out of respect. At Dortmund, there was never an issue”
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Tuchel and Aubameyang could soon be set to reignite their relationship at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea rumoured to be interested in signing the player from Barcelona.
However, it is understood Barcelona will only allow one of Aubameyang or Memphis Depay to leave the club, with their preference being to keep Aubameyang to play as Robert Lewandowski’s understudy.
SunSport columnist Piers Morgan accused Arteta of “humiliating” Aubameyang, and linked the ill-timed loss of the attacker to why the club missed out on top four.
