Arsenal’s transfer activity has slowed in recent weeks. The Gunners had been expected to shuffle the deck in midfield over the summer, but so far, there has been little to no activity. That could all be about to change though.
According to reports from France last night, Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar is ready to force a move away from the club in the next few weeks. L’Équipe report that Aouar is determined to leave the club during this transfer window after all and OL can see themselves being reluctantly forced to sell.
The same report suggests that so far, Arsenal are the only club to have made an approach for the player. Reports earlier in the summer have suggested that Arteta is ‘in love’ with Houssem. We’ve been talking about Arsenal’s pursuit of Aouar since January.
The presents an interesting situation for the Gunners.
Despite the obvious quality of the player, the financial landscape has seen interest in the player cool this summer. That lack of competition will put Arsenal in a strong position,
However, L’Equipe (via GFFN) go on to say that Lyon are looking for 60million euros and nothing else. He has a contract until 2023 and so will not be in a rush to sell.
Lyon’s failure to qualify for any sort of European football this season is likely to have impacted Aouar’s decision to push for a move this summer. That only further highlights the importance of Arsenal’s FA Cup victory, and therefore Europa League qualification.
Aouar is a technically gifted midfielder that can help implement Arteta’s style of play and assist the team in dictating games. However, the Frenchman only managed 3 goals and 3 assists last season from 25 games. He’s still very young though, and under the manager’s stewardship, could increase his effectiveness in key areas.