Jump directly to the content

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is leaving Europe after a rollercoaster decade at clubs across the continent.

The 35-year-old Gabon striker is set to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadisah this summer.

A decade ago, everyone wanted Saint-Etienne striker Aubameyang
4
A decade ago, everyone wanted Saint-Etienne striker AubameyangCredit: AFP

Marseille are happy to sanction an exit and he will sign a two-year contract for the club based in Khobar, in the east of the country and about 80 miles from Riyadh.

Neal Maupay mocks former Chelsea star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in brutal TikTok game

It is the second time he will leave France behind, more than 10 years after his exit first time around.

In 2013, a then 24-year-old Aubameyang was trying his best to leave Ligue 1 and there was no shortage of suitors for the hotshot goal getter.

Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Paris St Germain, Anzhi Makhachkala and - most importantly - Newcastle were all interested.

READ MORE TRANSFERS

After life as a journeyman for much of his early career that began at AC Milan, Aubameyang finally had a breakout season at Saint-Etienne during the 2012/13 campaign.

His 19 league goals left him second in the goalscoring charts, only behind PSG superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Joe Kinnear had just been installed as Newcastle's director of football and Aubameyang became one of his top targets.

The Magpies made a bid of £15million, with the hope of signing a certain Kurt Zouma from St Etienne in a combined £26m move.

It was rejected, prompting Aubameyang to make a public declaration about his desire to move to the Premier League.

He said: "I will choose England before any other destination.

Newcastle thought Aubameyang was theirs
4
Newcastle thought Aubameyang was theirsCredit: Getty

"My dream has always been to play in one of the top two leagues in the world.

"Newcastle is a good club and St James’s Park is a monumental stadium where there is passionate fans."

However, there was another club which ended up appealing to Aubameyang more than Newcastle.

He ended up signing for Borussia Dortmund, who had reached the Champions League final under Jurgen Klopp the previous season.

Explaining his decision in 2016, Aubameyang said: "I received an offer from Qatar of €10m per year (£7.83m). If I accepted, my family would be set up for life.

"We chose to stay at Saint-Etienne, where I got €70,000 per month (£55,000), knowing that, given my qualities, I could earn money tomorrow.

"The following season, Saint-Etienne wanted to send me to Newcastle.

"We opted for Dortmund, finalist in the Champions League, because my father studied Klopp's game, even though the pay was lower."

Aubameyang managed 41 goals and 16 assists in 93 appearances for Borussia Dortmund under Klopp
4
Aubameyang managed 41 goals and 16 assists in 93 appearances for Borussia Dortmund under KloppCredit: getty

Aubameyang became one of the hottest strikers in Europe, while Newcastle embarked on a three year decline which would eventually see them relegated from the Premier League in 2016.

Unlike the Magpies, Aubameyang was playing in the English top-flight in 2018.

Arsenal broke their transfer record to sign the striker from Dortmund in a £56million deal.

For three-and-a-half years, Aubameyang was worth his weight in gold.

He scored 64 goals in 114 leagues games before the 2021/22 season - when everything went wrong.

Aubameyang's behaviour as captain and role model to the club's younger players began to irritate manager Mikel Arteta - and a very public fallout led to the striker's sudden exit.

Barcelona snapped him up in January 2022 and Aubameyang made a solid start, scoring 11 goals in 17 LaLiga matches.

Chelsea then decided to take a punt on the 34-year-old in the summer of 2023.

Aubameyang's time at Chelsea and Arsenal ended in misery
4
Aubameyang's time at Chelsea and Arsenal ended in miseryCredit: Getty

It turned out to be a dreadful decision as Aubameyang returned one Premier League goal and barely featured during a forgettable campaign for the club and the player.

He finally escaped back to Ligue 1 this summer after Chelsea struck a deal with Marseille - and scored 17 goals upon his return.

Aubameyang showed that maybe he still has a bit more to give before hanging up his boots.

Read More on talkSPORT

But had Newcastle managed to sign Aubameyang in his prime, their last decade might have panned out very differently.

Follow all the latest transfer news this summer in the talkSPORT Transfer Blog

Topics