Eric Abidal Talks Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Ahead of Barcelona Striker Search

Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal has praised Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and confirmed the Catalan club will be in the market for a new centre-forward this summer. 

Abidal also said Aubameyang was one of several names Barca considered in January as they weighed up getting a striker to fill in for Luis Suarez, who will be out until May after knee surgery.

He told Sport (h/t Goal's Stephen Darwin): "There is a list with players like [Olivier] Giroud, [Fernando] Llorente or Aubameyang, but for one thing or another we decided not to sign [anyone]. We believe it is the best for the club."

The former Barcelona player is an admirer of Aubameyang's:

He added:

"It is logical that in summer a 'nine' will come. It is a necessity. We know that Suarez will come back strong, but you have to bring a top player in the summer.

"We do not know if he will be young or experienced. We only look at the talent and adaptation they may have. We must think that some top players have come and have not adapted well."

Suarez had 14 goals and 11 assists from 23 games before his injury, but he's 33 and no longer as mobile as he once was, so Barca could already have done with having more cover for him even before his injury.

Aubameyang is a pacy and versatile forward who can play through the middle or provide cover on the left wing if needed. He's prolific, too:

The Gabon striker's efforts in the Premier League since his arrival in England have been almost unrivalled:

Arsenal marked his two-year anniversary with the club with a video of some of his highlights:

Aubameyang will be 31 in June, so he wouldn't be a particularly long-term acquisition for Barca. However, at the end of the season he'll only have one year left on his Arsenal contract, so he may be available at a reasonable price.

What's more, he'd likely be open to leaving. Arsenal have endured a poor season in the Premier League. They've won just six games—only the bottom two, Watford and Norwich City, have picked up fewer—and only two of those have come since October 6.

The Gunners are 10 points off a place in the top four as a result, so winning the UEFA Europa League is their only realistic chance of being able to offer UEFA Champions League football next season.

Even if they manage to pull that off, Barca can not only offer Champions League football but also a chance to win that competition. Since 2005, they've only failed to reach at least the quarter-finals once, and they've won it on four occasions in that time.