Arsenal
Report: Arsenal make approach to sign £21m star as Arteta looks to land 4th signing
Arsenal have approached Lyon about signing £21m-rated attacking midfielder Houssem Aouar on loan as Mikel Arteta looks to add some creativity to his squad
Arsenal have approached Lyon about signing £21m-rated attacking midfielder Houssem Aouar on loan as Mikel Arteta looks to add some much-needed creativity to his squad, according to The Athletic.
Arteta has already splashed out over £70m this summer to sign centre-back Ben White, left-back Nuno Tavares and midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga but the Gunners boss knows he needs further reinforcements if they’re to challenge for the top four this campaign.
While a new goalkeeper and striker are reportedly on the agenda, a new creative midfielder is one of Arteta’s top priorities as Martin Odegaard has returned to Real Madrid following a successful spell on loan during the second half of last season.
The Athletic says Arsenal are still keen to re-sign Odegaard and will do whatever it takes to land him if the Norwegian international becomes available during the closing stages of the transfer window.
Much will depend on whether Odegaard is part of Carlo Ancelotti’s first team plans as the 22-year-old has made it clear he wants to be playing regularly next season. If he’s left out during the opening games of the new campaign, then we could see the youngster pushing for a move with Arsenal ready to pounce.
James Maddison has also been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium but The Athletic suggests that the speculation is being driven by intermediary agents and the Leicester City man isn’t a main target for Arsenal right now.
Aouar is another playmaker who’s been heavily linked with a move to North London and The Athletic says the Lyon star is on Arsenal’s hit-list of targets once again. The Gunners failed to sign Aouar last summer and dampened their interest in January after receiving some concerning scouting reports.
However, Lyon are in financial trouble and The Athletic says the Ligue 1 club will sell if £21m [€25m] is put on the table – which is significantly less than Arsenal were quoted for the player last summer.
The Gunners realise this is an excellent opportunity to sign a hugely talented player at a knock down price – and the report says Arsenal have now enquired about signing Aouar on an initial loan.
It remains to be seen whether Lyon would be prepared to let Aouar leave on loan or if they’ll demand a permanent sale but the Frenchman would be an excellent addition to Arsenal’s squad if they could lure him to the Emirates.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop but at this stage it appears Aouar and Odegaard are Arsenal’s main targets as Arteta looks to bring in a creative midfielder before the end of the month.
