Chelsea star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has 'left already' after being cast aside by head coach Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge, journalist Paul Brown has told GiveMeSport.
The Blues are struggling to return to their best form and are the lowest scorers in the Premier League's top 10, but the Gabon international is still being overlooked.
Chelsea transfer news - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Aubameyang will be among the big-name stars to leave Chelsea during the summer window.
The respected Italian journalist suggests the frontman, who only joined in a £10million deal from Barcelona last year, is no longer part of Potter's project at Stamford Bridge.
Aubameyang was offered the chance to seal a quickfire Chelsea exit by joining Major League Soccer franchise Los Angeles FC earlier this month, but he opted to remain in the capital and fight for his place until the end of the campaign, while Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan are considering summer moves.
The former Arsenal man was left out of the Blues' squad for the Champions League knockout stages by Potter, throwing his future into serious doubt.
But respected reporter Simon Phillips recently told GiveMeSport that Aubameyang and the Chelsea boss have since cleared the air in discussions.
What has Paul Brown said about Aubameyang?
Brown is in no doubt that Aubameyang's days on Chelsea's books are numbered as, mentally, he has already departed the club.
The journalist believes the 33-year-old will not succeed in his attempts to break back into Potter's plans.
Brown told GiveMeSport: "I think, mentally, Aubameyang is gone. I think he's left already.
"It's quite clear that, as deprecating and nice as Graham Potter has been about him, he doesn't really see him as someone who's going to play for him at all."
Should Chelsea sell Aubameyang in the summer?
Aubameyang has been restricted to just 782 minutes of action since Potter succeeded Thomas Tuchel last September, according to Transfermarkt, so it is clear he is not at the top of the pecking order among Chelsea's striker options.
The Premier League's top goalscorer for the 2018/19 season, while on Arsenal's books, has struggled to put together a prolific run of form in a Blues shirt.
In fact, Aubameyang has only found the back of the net three times and registered one assist in 17 appearances for Chelsea.
But the west Londoners have been struggling at the top end of the pitch all season and, taking into account the fact he has scored 304 goals over the course of his senior club career, it could be argued that Aubameyang has been harshly treated by Potter.
Considering he is on a contract worth £170,000-per-week, it would make business sense for Chelsea to sanction Aubameyang's departure if there is no way back for him under the current boss.
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