Barcelona and Juventus 'make offers to sign Aubameyang on loan'

Barcelona and Juventus have reportedly submitted offers to Arsenal to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on loan for the rest of the season.

Sportsmail revealed that Aubameyang is free to leave the club this month, having fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta, and there is interest from several clubs.

And according to The Athletic, European giants Barcelona and Juventus have made official approaches for the Gabon striker.

The report goes on to claim that both teams are wanting to recruit him on a temporary basis with it currently unclear what Arsenal will decide before the window slams shut on Monday.

The main issues continue to revolve around Aubameyang's £350,000-a-week wages, including whether the Gunners can offload him for beyond the end of this season.

The Athletic have also claimed that a move may hinge on Alvaro Morata's movements in the final few days of the window.

Should Atletico Madrid loanee Morata stay at Juventus this month, then the Catalan giants could make a move for Aubameyang.

However, if Morata ends up at the Nou Camp himself or elsewhere for that matter, then it would be Juventus who would be keen on bringing another striker in.

Barcelona's dire financial situation may also prove to play a factor into a move and may struggle in paying Aubameyang's full wage for the duration of his loan.

But while Juventus weigh up a move for Aubameyang, the Italian club kept themselves busy as they welcomed Arsenal target Dusan Vlahovic to the club, where he is currently undergoing a medical ahead of a £62m move.

Vlahovic, who agreed personal terms with Juventus earlier this week, has scored 20 goals in 24 matches for Fiorentina this season.

Reports in Italy suggest Vlahovic will earn £5.8m per season net at the Allianz Stadium and will sign a long-term contract. Arteta was keen to bring Vlahovic to the Emirates Stadium but now has to turn his attentions to other forward targets such as Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen, Luka Jovic and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Isak extended his contract last October and Real Sociedad capitalised on the chance to insert a €90million (£75m) release in the deal, but his is the only potential deal that would require little negotiation if the Gunners are willing to stump up the fee.

Osimhen has scored nine goals in 16 matches for Napoli this campaign, adding to his 10-goal haul from the previous year. His club splashed out €80m (£66m) to sign him from Lille in 2020.

Jovic has been out of favour ever since signing for Real Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt for £50m back in 2019. Jovic is back at Real after spending the second half of last season on loan back at Frankfurt, though showed very little signs of resurrecting his previous form in Germany.

Calvert-Lewin is a star at Everton, who would fight to keep him and would expect to receive at least £60m if they were to let him go.

Arsenal have just three recognised first-team strikers available for them at the moment in Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.

Aubameyang has not featured for the club since the start of December after seeing the armband taken away from him due to repeated disciplinary breaches. He has been at the Africa Cup of Nations with Gabon during January.

Both Lacazette and Nketiah will see their contracts expire at the end of the season, while Sportsmail revealed last week that Aubameyang has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabian teams.

Young forward Folarin Balogun left the club in January to join Middlesbrough on loan.