Remember when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was lighting up the Emirates? Those days feel distant now. The 37-year-old former Arsenal captain is set to swap Marseille for newly promoted Deportivo de La Coruña, agreeing a two-year deal worth a reported €1.5 million transfer fee.
It’s a move that nobody quite predicted. But it makes a surprising amount of sense for both sides.
From North London to Northern Spain
Journalist Luca Bendoni broke the news on July 15, reporting that Aubameyang has reached an agreement in principle with Deportivo. Only final paperwork and signatures remain before the transfer becomes official.
Get French Football News confirmed the story, noting that Aubameyang didn’t join Marseille’s pre-season tour. He left the club’s training ground that same afternoon, with his next destination now clear.
Marseille’s new manager Bruno Génésio appeared to acknowledge the financial reality behind the departure during his press conference. He admitted that while he’d prefer to keep quality players, the club needed to sell.
The Gabon international’s career has been nothing short of remarkable. His CV already reads like a who’s who of European football:
- Borussia Dortmund (2013–2018)
- Arsenal (2018–2022)
- Barcelona (2022)
- Chelsea (2022–2023)
- Marseille (2023–2024)
- Al-Qadsiah (2024–2025)
- Marseille again (2025–2026)
Adding Deportivo to that list? It’s an unexpected chapter, but a fascinating one.
What Aubameyang Meant to Arsenal
Arsenal fans won’t forget Aubameyang’s impact easily. He arrived from Dortmund in January 2018 for a then-club record £56 million and wasted no time making his mark.
In total, he scored 92 goals in 163 appearances across all competitions. In the Premier League alone, he bagged 68 goals in 128 matches. He also became the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals for Arsenal, beating Thierry Henry’s record by four matches.
His crowning moment? The 2020 FA Cup final. Two goals against Chelsea sealed Mikel Arteta’s first trophy as manager. Can you really argue with that legacy?
But things turned sour. Disciplinary issues led to Aubameyang being stripped of the captaincy in December 2021. He left by mutual consent the following January, joining Barcelona on a free transfer.
His departure left a bitter taste for some fans. Yet the numbers don’t lie. When he was on form, few strikers in the Premier League could match him.
Why Deportivo Makes Sense
So why would a player of Aubameyang’s calibre choose a newly promoted side? Context matters here.
Deportivo aren’t just any promoted club. They’re former La Liga champions, winners of the 1999-2000 title. Their fall from grace has been dramatic. They dropped from Spain’s top flight in 2018 and even sank to the third tier before clawing their way back.
This season, under Antonio Hidalgo, Deportivo secured automatic promotion with 77 points. They beat Real Valladolid 2-0 to confirm their return after eight long years away. It’s one of Spanish football’s great comeback stories.
For Aubameyang, this isn’t retirement. He scored 14 goals in 40 appearances for Marseille across all competitions last season. He also chipped in with assists in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
At 37, he still knows where the goal is. And Deportivo need exactly that kind of experience and finishing ability as they prepare to face Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid at Riazor next season.
Is it a gamble? Sure. But Deportivo’s sporting director Fernando Soriano hinted at the club’s ambitions, saying they had at least three more signings to make. Aubameyang appears to be the biggest of them all.
For Arsenal fans, it’s another reminder of how quickly football moves. The man who once captained the Gunners and won them silverware is now preparing for a survival fight in Spain with a club rewriting its own history.
There’s something poetic about that.
