All the talk in terms of Arsenal signing a new attacking midfielder this summer have so far centred around two players. James Maddison and Martin Odegaard. Now there appears to be a new (well old) name in the mix.
The familiar name of Houssem Aouar is once more being discussed behind closed doors at Arsenal according to a transfer update today from The Athletic.
Interestingly they go on to say that Arsenal are exploring the possibility of taking him on loan, with a fee of 25m euros likely to be enough to sign him permanently.
Valued at £38million, the opportunity to sign Aouar permanently for around £22million will surely raise eyebrows at Arsenal in their search for a creative midfielder.
If a loan deal is pursued then the Gunners would be wise to include an agreed option to buy at around that £22million mark. If Aouar adapts well, he will be worth considerably more than that amount by the end of his loan deal.
A temporary ‘try before you buy’ style deal will be appealing to Arsenal though. Given the fact that according to The Athletic, Arsenal’s interest waned in January due to concerns raised in scouting and background checks on the player.
The player’s profile and his obvious talent and potential clearly caught the eye of the club in previous years and now they have an opportunity to temporarily see if he fits in well with the club, before committing a large financial package to sign him permanently.
Aouar is not a natural number 10 and has often featured in a deeper central role, as well as featuring from the left.
In my opinion Arsenal should pursue this loan deal, but it should be in addition to the signing of Odegaard or Maddison. Pack the squad with creativity and sell the likes of Elneny, Willian and Maitland-Niles.