Barcelona on Tuesday signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal after the London-based Premier League club allowed their former captain to leave on a free transfer on the deadline day.

Aubameyang, Arsenal’s highest-paid player, is reportedly accepting a hefty pay cut to join Barcelona as the club doesn’t have a lot of salary cap space, according to news agency AP.

Aubameyang’s decision to renew his contract in 2020 delighted Arsenal fans, having seen the striker score 22 league goals in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns. However, he could only muster 10 league strikes the following term as Arsenal finished eighth.

Things deteriorated further for Aubameyang this season as the 32-year-old striker has not played for Arsenal since December after manager Mikel Arteta stripped him of the captaincy due to a “disciplinary breach”. He scored only 4 Premier League goals in the ongoing season.

Arsenal were so desperate to get him off their books they will let him leave for nothing, 18 months before his contract concludes.

Barcelona have done plenty of rebuilding in the transfer window, with England’s Premier League where they chose to do most of their shopping. Adama Traore arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan while Manchester City sold Ferran Torres to the Catalan club.

Delle Alli, van de Beek make Everton switch

Meanwhile, Dele Alli has moved to Everton for a deal that may reach 40 million pounds, after falling out of form and favour at Tottenham. Tottenham have signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus for a fee around 15 million pounds.

On the deadline day, Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek also moved to Everton on a loan move.

To say his dream move to Manchester United did not work out would be an understatement, as Van de Beek’s first season with the club was spent looking on from the sidelines under previous coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The arrival of interim manager Ralf Rangnick has only made things worse, with the Dutchman yet to start a Premier League match this term, mustering just 69 minutes all season in the English top flight.

The 24-year-old will hope that under a coach who scored Premier League goals for fun from midfield as a player, he can learn a few things in training to turn his fortunes around, returning to United in the summer a different proposition altogether.