French Ligue 1 giants Olympique Marseille have announced a delay in the return of former Arsenal and Barcelona striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer.
Sports Talk Florida understands that some administrative documents have not been completed but are in final stages and the club is hopeful of getting the deal over the line.
Aubameyang is expected to return to France after reaching an agreement with Saudi club Al Qadsiah for the mutual termination of his contract in June.
Olympique Marseille’s statement on Tuesday read: “The arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang initially scheduled for today, Tuesday, July 22, aat 7.15p.m at the general aviation terminal at Marignane Airport, has been postponed to a later date.
“The club is working closely with all parties involved to finalise this arrival under the best possible conditions and as quickly as possible.”
The bigger picture of Aubameyang’s return
The 2015 African Footballer of the Year has taken a huge wage cut to finalise his return to the south of France after his first stint at the Orange Velodrome in the 2023-24 season.
The Gabonese captain is no stranger to French football having previously played for Lille, Monaco and Saint-Etienne in the French top-flight.
And his addition to Roberto De Zerbi’s squad is expected to bolster Olympique Marseille in their hunt for a Ligue 1 title since 2010 and in their UEFA Champions League quest.
In his previous season at Marseille, the 36-year-old scored 17 goals in 34 matches and he returns after matching the feat at Al-Qadsiah with 17 goals in 32 games last campaign.
Aubameyang will become the fourth player to join Marseille in this summer after Angel Gomes, Facundo Medina and CJ Egan-Riley.
What next for Marseille
Olympique Marseille are having their pre-season training tour in the Netherlands where they have played Excelsior Massluis (5-0 win) and Sporting Charleroi (1-1) with Mason Greenwood scoring four goals in the two matches.
They are also booked to travel to Andorra and Spain before returning to the Phocaean City at the end of July, as they are scheduled to play La Liga club Sevilla and Premier League club Aston Villa at the Orange Velodrome on August 2 and August 9, respectively.
The Olympians will begin their 2025-26 Ligue 1 season on the road against Rennes on August 15.
