Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reportedly been handed reassurances over his future at the club following Thomas Tuchel's departure.
The 33-year-old reunited with his former Borussia Dortmund coach on transfer deadline day less than a year after departing Premier League leaders Arsenal for Barcelona.
Aubameyang affirmed that he was excited to reunite with Tuchel in West London, and he was handed his full debut against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
However, the Gabon international only played 59 minutes of that 1-0 defeat, and Tuchel was officially sacked by the Blues less than 24 hours later.
The presence of Tuchel was a key factor in Aubameyang's decision to return to the Premier League, and he is said to have been left "shocked" by the German's exit.
In a bid to reassure the striker over his role at the club, The Telegraph claims that Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali personally contacted Aubameyang after giving Tuchel the boot.
The report adds that Aubameyang is standing by his decision to join Chelsea despite the unexpected news of Tuchel's departure, and Chelsea are confident that he will blossom into a key player.
Aubameyang previously registered 68 goals and 16 assists in 128 Premier League outings for Arsenal before departing for Barcelona, where he hit 11 La Liga goals during his first half-season.
However, the arrival of Robert Lewandowski led to Barcelona sanctioning Aubameyang's exit for Chelsea, although he was forced to wear a protective mask during his debut against Zagreb following a burglary at his home in Catalonia.
The striker suffered a jaw injury in the attack, but there is supposedly optimism that he will be able to return to playing without a mask within the next couple of weeks.
Aubameyang is also said to be excited to work under Graham Potter, who is expected to be confirmed as Chelsea's new head coach in the coming hours once his exit from Brighton & Hove Albion is finalised.
Tuchel left Chelsea after winning the Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his time in charge, posting 60 wins, 16 losses and 24 draws from 100 matches.
However, the Blues find themselves sixth in the Premier League table after taking 10 points from their opening six matches, with Aubameyang's former employers Arsenal five clear of the Blues at the summit.
Chelsea's coaching staff are currently preparing the squad for Saturday's West London derby with Fulham in the Premier League, but Potter may be in place to take charge at Craven Cottage.
Brighton are in action themselves on Saturday - facing Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium - but Potter's press conference has reportedly been cancelled as he closes in on a switch to Chelsea. body check tags ::
