Aubameyang signs for Barcelona: Gabon striker hoping to make impact with his arrival

Barcelona had a busy winter transfer window, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang adding to the high-profile arrivals of Dani Alves, Ferran Torres, and Adama Traoré. 

Joining from Arsenal, Aubameyang brings goals and experience to Xavi Hernández's squad, with the 32-year-old having already played in Italy, France, Germany, and England before making his move to Spain's top tier.  "I think that for years people that know me know that I score goals and I'm a quick striker, so I hope to help the team with my goals and score a lot of them for Barca," Aubameyang said during his unveiling.

"This is the opportunity of my life, I'm buzzing and I'll give everything. I have to thank the club and it's an honour to be here. I'm ready to help the team."

Having arrived from the Premier League, Aubameyang is ready to adapt to the "Barca style" of play. "I see myself as ready and I think that I've had a lot of luck playing in the Premier League. I am prepared to play in the Barca style," the striker said.

As the star striker signs for the La Liga Santander giants, , let's take a look at some of the lesser-known facts about Aubameyang:

Aubameyang could've represented Spain

Although Aubameyang was born in Laval in north-western France, he opted to represent the Gabon national team because his footballer father Pierre-François hailed from the country and even played for the national team, representing the Panthères 80 times. Aubameyang could actually have also represented Spain, since his mother Margarita is Spanish. Thanks to his mother, the new Barcelona star already speaks Spanish. 

Already a goalscorer at Camp Nou

Even though he has been playing at the top level of European football for several years, Aubameyang has never actually come up against his new club Barcelona in competitive action. But he already knows what it feels like to score on the Camp Nou's hallowed turf, netting for Arsenal against his new club in the 2019 Gamper Trophy, Barça's traditional pre-season friendly match. 

Gabon's only Olympic goalscorer

Over the years, Aubameyang has been the standout player for the Gabon national team and he is already his country's all-time top scorer (30). One of his proudest moments actually came when he represented his nation's Olympic team at the 2012 Summer Games in London, Gabon's one and only appearance at the men's football tournament in the Olympics. To this day, Aubameyang is the author of his country's one and only Olympic goal. 

His somersault goal celebration has its origins in LaLiga

The forward has been behind some of football's most creative goal celebrations during his career. He's perhaps most famous for his somersaults after scoring, but few know that this celebration actually has roots in LaLiga. It's a tribute to five-time LaLiga top scorer and Mexican legend Hugo Sanchez, who was one of his grandfather's favourite players.