Chelsea are reportedly prepared to pay the entirety of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's salary as he nears a loan move to MLS franchise Los Angeles FC.

Aubameyang only joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Barcelona last summer, but his time at Stamford Bridge already appears to be coming to an end.

The 33-year-old was keen to reunite with Thomas Tuchel, who was subsequently sacked following a Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, which was incidentally Aubameyang's debut for the club.

Although Aubameyang started all six of Chelsea's Champions League group games, he was recently left out of the squad for the knockout stages of the competition.

The Gabon international has only started four Premier League matches under Graham Potter, and he has fallen further down the pecking order following the arrivals of Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana and Joao Felix.

With the striker struggling for playing time, LAFC are seemingly offering Aubameyang a way out of Stamford Bridge.

Although the former Arsenal man was believed to have initially had doubts over the loan switch, he appears to be on the verge of joining the MLS franchise.

According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Chelsea are willing to pay the entirety of Aubameyang's £160,000-per-week salary should he agree to join LAFC on loan.

LAFC are currently the MLS Cup holders, but following the retirement of Gareth Bale, they are looking to strengthen their forward line.

The proposed loan deal is expected to run until July, with Aubameyang set to leave Chelsea on a permanent deal in the summer despite having a contract until 2024.

The 33-year-old was linked with a return to Barcelona in January, after he impressed in his time with the Catalan giants, scoring 13 goals in 24 appearances.

Another of his former clubs, AC Milan, were thought to be interested, while Atletico Madrid were also targeting a January move.

However, having already played for Barcelona and Chelsea this season, FIFA rules state that a player cannot play for more than two teams in the same season.

With LAFC yet to begin their campaign, Aubameyang would be free to join the MLS franchise before their season starts at the end of the month.

They will kick off the 2023 season with a derby fixture - commonly known as El Trafico - against local rivals Los Angeles Galaxy on February 26. body check tags ::