Arsenal have revived their interest in Houssem Aouar and are preparing a move for the midfielder, as per reports in The Sun.
The 22-year-old rose through the ranks at Olympique Lyon youth academy and made his senior team debut in 2016. Since then the midfielder has played in 170 games for the French club. He scored eight goals and registered four assists in 33 appearances for them last season.
The Gunners were in negotiations with Lyon last summer over a move for Aouar and they did submit a bid of around £30miliion which was eventually rejected as Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas valued him at £54million.
According to The Sun, the north Londoners have reignited their pursuit for the French international and are set to submit a new bid. An offer as low as £20million could be sufficient to prise him away after Lyon failed to qualify for the Champions League next season as they finished fourth in Ligue 1.
The report further states that the Emirates club are readying a £100,000-a-week contract offer to secure the playmaker’s services for next season. L’Equipe have also confirmed that Lyon are ready to listen to offers for their star due to their financial predicament. Liverpool are also interested but currently, the Gunners lead the race to land him.
The player himself has not ruled out a move away this summer. Talking to reporters ahead of Lyon’s final game last season, he said:
“This could be (my last match at Lyon), but it could also not be. I do not ask myself these sorts of questions before an important match like this.”
“I have not played as much as I would have liked. I struggled to come back after Covid. A pretty mixed season (for me). I have improved in terms of managing injuries.”
Arsenal Fever View:
Mikel Arteta is keen on adding quality to his midfield after a disastrous campaign last season. The Spaniard has been an admirer of Martine Odegaard and the Norwegian was the club’s No.1 target for this summer but Real Madrid’s stance on the matter has raised huge doubt over the return of Odegaard. This has made Aouar a feasible replacement especially if the youngster is available at that cut price.
The 22-year-old did not live up to the high standards set in the previous season majorly due to his injury concerns. However, he has experience of playing in Europe which can only benefit this young side. The player is versatile and can play as a traditional number 10 or a holding midfielder when the opposition is on the attack.
Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira have all been linked with a move away from the Emirates. So, it is an absolute necessity for the north London outfit to bolster their midfield. They should capitalize on Lyon’s situation and secure the midfielder’s signature to boost their chances of a top 4 finish next season.
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