Al Qadsiah confirm Aubameyang signing

Al Qadsiah have continued their impressive recruitment drive this summer with the signing of former Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabonese forward, who earlier this week confirmed his departure from Ligue 1’s Olympique de Marseille, has agreed to a contract through until 2026 with the newly promoted Roshn Saudi League side.

Al Qadsiah have been busy already this transfer window, signing the likes of former Real Madrid captain Nacho, Uruguay international Nahitan Nandez from Cagliari, and Belgian international goalkeeper Koen Casteels from Wolfsburg.

Aubameyang, 35, is another headline recruit, with the frontman enjoying a stellar 2023-24 season in the French top flight. He scored 17 goals in 34 Ligue 1 appearances.

Having begun his senior career in 2008 at AC Milan, Aubameyang went on to play for a variety of clubs in France before really rising to prominence during a prolific time in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.

In four and a half years with the Bundesliga club from 2013, he scored 141 goals in 213 matches, winning the German Cup. He was also named CAF African Footballer of the Year in 2015.

Aubameyang then sealed a move to English Premier League side Arsenal, for a then-club record fee, where he won the FA Cup and reached the final of both the 2017-18 League Cup and the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League. In the latter season, he also finished joint-top scorer in the Premier League.

Aubameyang left Arsenal in February 2022 having scored 92 goals in 142 starts, then joined Barcelona for a brief spell before returning to England with Chelsea that September. He made the switch to Marseille in July last year and finished the season as the top scorer in the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League, with 10 goals, as his team reached the semi-finals.

In international football, Aubameyang represented France at Under-21 level but chose Gabon because his father, Pierre Aubameyang, had previously played for the national team.

Pierre-Emerick debuted for the African side in 2009 and retired in May 2022 as his country’s all-time leading scorer having found the net 28 times in 68 appearances. However, 12 months later Aubameyang announced he would return to the international fold.

Aubameyang will be hoping to make his RSL bow when the 2024-25 season kicks off with Matchweek 1 from August 22-24. Al Qadsiah, competing in the top tier for the first time since 2021, open their campaign at home to Al Fateh.