LONDON SHOCK EXCHANGE Arsenal star Aubameyang wanted by Chelsea in audacious transfer with striker available for just £20m this summer

CHELSEA are lining up an audacious move for Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of a major summer for the striker.

Posted Thursday, June 04, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Out of contract in 2021, the Gabonese forward may be allowed to leave North London if a bid as low as £20million lands, Sun Sport exclusively revealed.

LONDON SHOCK EXCHANGE Arsenal star Aubameyang wanted by Chelsea in audacious transfer with striker available for just £20m this summer
Arsenal top scorer Aubameyang was made club captain in November

Mikel Arteta is determined to keep Aubameyang long-term but club bosses are determined not to lose out on potential transfer funds by letting him go for free.

The Gunners rued seeing Aaron Ramsey leave when his contract expired and yet face a severely depressed market if hoping to cash-in on Aubameyang this summer.

According to the Telegraph, Chelsea are weighing up a swoop but are aware that Arsenal will not make a deal easy for their London rivals.

A bid may not come to be with the Blues focusing on Timo Werner in their attempts to bolster Frank Lampard's attack - which is set to lose out-of-contract Willian.

But in the highly unpredictable upcoming market, a long list of potential signings may be required and Aubameyang is said to be among Chelsea's options.

The final weeks of the season may be definitive in the 30-year-old's Gunners career with Champions League football thought to be high on his list of priorities.

ESPN, who also back up the Chelsea rumours, report that a contract offer is still yet to land from the club.

Aubameyang is Arsenal's top scorer with 20 goals this season as well as their second-highest earner, although he recently dropped his salary by £22,500-a-week as part of the 12.5 per cent pay cut agreed by the bulk of the squad.

Financial issues amid the coronavirus pandemic could leave the Gunners with an incredibly tight budget this summer, making a renewed push for the top-four even more tough.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have also been linked with the forward, although the Ligue 1 champions have just signed Mauro Icardi and the Spanish club are focusing their efforts on Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan.