Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has been in touch with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to reassure him of his role after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel lost his job as Chelsea manager earlier this week, just five days after Aubameyang had joined the club to reunite with the head coach. Naturally, the attention for many soon turned to what the striker would be thinking.
He had left Barcelona after just half a year, in which he had a good record of 13 goals in 24 games. Reuniting with his former Borussia Dortmund boss Tuchel will have been a major factor in his decision to leave that behind.
Indeed, during their previous time together, Aubameyang had scored 79 goals from 95 appearances. It was an astonishing record that effectively earned him his move to the Premier League with Arsenal.
His last months at the Emirates Stadium were less inspiring, leading to his exit for Barcelona. But with Chelsea needing a new striker after the departure of Romelu Lukaku back to Inter Milan, it looked as if Tuchel linking up with Aubameyang again in new surroundings would be a sensible solution.
Now, instead, the 33-year-old will be playing under Graham Potter. Aubameyang only managed just under an hour of gametime in his second spell with Tuchel.
He – and many others – will be wondering about his place in Potter’s plans after the managerial change. But according to the Daily Telegraph, he has been reassured by the club’s ownership about his status as a Chelsea player.
The report claims Aubameyang received a call from co-controlling owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who had already addressed the squad as a whole on Wednesday.
Striker still happy with Chelsea choice
During their conversation, the former Gabon international was told he was not signed merely for Tuchel, but for the club itself. Chelsea are backing him to be successful under Potter, just as they would have under Tuchel.
In turn, Aubameyang – per the Daily Telegraph‘s report – does not seem to have any regrets about leaving Barcelona for Chelsea. Although surprised by Tuchel’s exit, he is now looking forward to his future with Potter.
He was grateful to have been contacted by the club’s hierarchy; they understood he may have been someone with questions after their decision regarding Tuchel.
Now, he must focus on his commitment to the club in a new era with Potter. Aubameyang signed a contract until 2024 when transferring from Barcelona earlier this month. Therefore, he cannot retrace his steps and will be at Potter’s disposal for the next couple of seasons.
Potter replacement of Tuchel may prompt Aubameyang doubts
So, will Aubameyang be as productive for Potter as he might have been for Tuchel?
The question has to be asked if Potter can get the best out of his strikers. His Brighton teams often played good football but underperformed in terms of the number of goals they scored.
On the other hand, Aubameyang is clearly a player of a higher level than what Potter has worked with before. Several Chelsea strikers have struggled under various regimes, but the club clearly have seen something in their recent arrival.
It will be up to Potter to unlock his talent, which he certainly did not hide in Barcelona. Chelsea may be adjusting their style under their new tactician. Hence, Aubameyang will have to work out how to function within the new plans.
There could be some scepticism as to how he will perform now. But Potter’s plans will inspire change at Chelsea and Aubameyang is just getting going as a newcomer anyway. Thus, he may be able to adapt.
