Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is closing on his return to Marseille after a season in the Saudi Pro League. The Ligue 1 club declared it on Tuesday.
The Gabonese International is expected to arrive in southern France late today to finalize the deal. Aubameyang will sign a contract until June 2027. He had bids from other Saudi clubs, but De Zerbi convinced him to represent Olympique Marseille next season.
The former Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea forward previously played for Marseille during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 30 goals in all competitions.
He moved to Al-Qadsiah last season after Olympique Marseille failed to qualify for the European competitions. The prolific goal scorer had a fine campaign in the Saudi Pro League, managing to score 17 goals and provide 3 assists in 32 games.
Olympic Marseille finished second in Ligue 1 after his departure. Their rivals, PSG, clinched the title with a 19-point difference. But this time, Olympique Marseille managed to qualify for the Champions League.
In his career at Arsenal, Aubameyang helped his side to lift the FA Cup and the Community Shield as the captain of the team under Mikel Arteta. The 2018/19 season saw the Gabonese crowned as English Premier League top scorer, sharing with his fellow Africans Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Before joining Chelsea, Aubameyang had a chance to play in La Liga and won the 2022/23 La Liga title with Barcelona. The 36-year-old striker is looking forward to getting some minutes in the Champions League again.
Aubameyang is currently the Gabon national team’s all-time leading scorer with 35 goals.
