Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a Deportivo A Coruna backdrop
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back in La Liga(Image: La Liga)
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A summer move to Deportivo A Coruna has seen Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reunited with former Arsenal team-mate Charlie Patino. Aubameyang's final Gunners appearance came just a fortnight before Patino's senior debut but the pair will hope to share a pitch on plenty of occasions in the north of Spain.
Aubameyang left North London in January 2022 and has since played in Spain, France and Saudi Arabia. A move to newly promoted Depor will see him rub shoulders once again with Patino, 22, who moved to Galicia in 2024.
"He grew up!" Aubameyang said with a smile. "Let's say, I think he's getting better obviously because he's getting more experience, and I'm happy to be back with him because he's a really good guy, a really nice guy.
"I saw him when he started as a professional, and it makes me happy to have him back in the team. We talk a lot, we laugh a lot about our times at Arsenal, so obviously it's very cool. As I said, he's getting more experience, and I think it's good for him."
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Depor are one of just nine teams to have ever won La Liga. However, they have fallen on hard times of late, dropping down to the third tier in 2020 before clawing their way back up.
This season will be their first in La Liga since 2017/18, when on-loan Arsenal striker Lucas Perez couldn't keep them afloat. They finished second in the Segunda Division last term, joining Racing Santander and Malaga in climbing up to the top tier.
Patino took a while to find his feet in the north of Spain, where his father's family hails from. However, he played 28 times last term after telling The Athletic about the challenges brought by his new surroundings.
Charlie Patino playing for Deportivo A Coruna
Charlie Patino helped Deportivo A Coruna win promotion last season(Image: Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
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"I wanted to come out and experience Spanish football," the midfielder said. "I watched a lot of La Liga when I was in England and between the Premier League, the Championship and the top two leagues in Spain, it’s completely different.
"It’s a lot more technical (in Spain), a lot more ball-oriented and tactical, whereas the Premier League and the Championship are more physical. When I was at Blackpool, a lot of teams would press us very high and go man-to-man, at Swansea as well. I feel like they are the differences."
Despite the club's rich history, Aubameyang recognises the task at hand won't be an easy one. "We have to go step-by-step obviously, but the first thing that comes to mind is we have to maintain the club in La Liga, that's for sure," he added.
"This is the biggest goal, but also at the same time we want to play some good games, some good football, and obviously, hopefully at the end of the season I can say 'okay, we took a step forward', and I will be happy if I really help the team to get to that step."
Watch RC Deportivo vs Elche CF this Monday at 8pm on Premier Sports 1. LALIGA is available to watch exclusively in the UK via Premier Sports, and Disney+ for every Saturday 8pm kick off.