Arsenal have lodged an official offer for Lyon star Houssem Aouar ahead of a potential move to London this summer.
According to French news outlet Le10Sport, ‘the file is progressing well’ and a deal can be wrapped up for a nominal €20 million to 25 million.
That’s a huge drop off from what the French side were asking for last summer. His current price has thus naturally alerted many of the top clubs like Atletico Madrid and PSG.
However, Arsenal look to be the frontrunners for his signature who have officially made an offer to their French counterparts. The report further suggested that the Gunners’ manager Mikel Arteta has admired the France U21 international for a long time.
The talks with the player’s camp have been kept under wraps due to Arsenal’s preference to sign players without the news getting leaked. Nobody had a clue that the North London outfit had bid for Italian international Manuel Locatelli, until the CEO came out and put Arsenal’s name in the spotlight.
That appears to be the case with Aouar’s pursuit too. Le10Sport claims that Les Gones are open to letting their 23-year-old midfielder leave if a suitable offer arrives on the table.
In his 170 appearances for Lyon, the Frenchman has played across every midfield position, which would appeal to Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard’s in-game management was often under scrutiny last season, as he failed to turn things around when the Gunners went onto concede first.
Aouar signing has other perks too as compared to signing Leicester City’s James Maddison. First, acquiring the Frenchman’s services is more economical. Second, the midfielder has more experience of playing as a number eight than Maddison and also has a good injury track record.
With the acquisition of Aouar, Emile Smith Rowe’s development as a number 10 can continue.
It is obvious that technical director Edu must weigh all the possibilities before signing a player, if he wants to get it absolutely spot on.
Yash Bisht