Barca up the ante on Auba

BARCELONA have slapped an £83million price on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – after signing him on a free transfer.

Arsenal were so desperate to get rid of the striker that they agreed to tear up his £350,000-a-week contract and let him walk as a free agent.

The Gunners reject (above) has accepted a big wage cut to go to Barca on a three-and-a-half-year deal with a massive release clause.

Aubameyang, 32, has an option to leave his new club on June 30, 2023 – but only if the buying club pays a fee bigger than anything Arsenal have ever spent on one player.

Gunners record signing Nicolas Pepe cost £72m, while Aubameyang himself cost just £56m when he was still in his prime at 28.

Aubameyang last played for Arsenal in December after being stripped of the captaincy for disciplinary reasons.

He said: “I’m really proud and happy to be here. My main goal is to help the team and give everything I can to bring the team back into the Champions League.

“It’s amazing to have Xavi as a coach, he’s been a fantastic player as everyone knows and I’m sure as a coach he will bring us something that we will learn.”Saul