"Present that has fallen out of the sky"- Barcelona boss Xavi heaps praise on in-form star after Osasuna win

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has lavished praise on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after his performance in the Catalan giants' 4-0 victory over Osasuna on Sunday.

Aubameyang left Arsenal by mutual consent during the January transfer window after being frozen out of the club's squad by Mikel Arteta. He joined the Blaugrana on a free transfer.

Ferran Torres gave Barcelona the lead against Osasuna in the 14th minute. He then doubled his side's advantage by converting a penalty just seven minutes later.

Aubameyang increased the Catalans' lead to 3-0 in the 27th minute before Riqui Puig rounded off the night by scoring the club's fourth goal in the 75th minute.

Xavi was thrilled with his side's performance but singled out Aubameyang for praise after the game. The former Arsenal star scored his fifth goal in just six La Liga games for his new club against Osasuna.

Xavi in a post-match press conference (via ESPN):

"Aubameyang is a present that has fallen out of the sky. It's not just [the goals], it's how he trains and his professionalism. He's an example, [all the players] are."

Sunday's victory over Osasuna helped Barcelona close the gap on second-placed Sevilla in La Liga. The Catalan giants are just five points behind Julen Lopetegui's side with a game in hand over them.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's form could lead to Barcelona dropping their interest in Erling Haaland

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been in fine form for the Blaugrana since his move from Arsenal

Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland in recent months. The Norwegian has scored 80 goals in 80 appearances for the Bundesliga side across all competitions and is widely considered one of the best strikers in the world.

However, the Catalan giants could drop their interest in him due to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's scintillating performances. The 32-year-old has enjoyed an incredible start to life at Camp Nou, scoring five goals in eight appearances for the club in all competitions.

The Blaugrana also signed Memphis Depay on a free transfer from Lyon last summer. The Dutchman has scored 10 goals in 26 appearances for the club across all competitions this season.

Additionally, the Catalan giants signed Ferran Torres from Manchester City in the January transfer window. The club paid an initial £46.3 million plus a further £8.4 million in add-ons for the forward's services.

Torres has scored three goals in 11 appearances for the club across all competitions this season.

With all these signings, Barcelona have a fair share of top-quality attacking options and could opt out of the race to sign Haaland.