Arsenal
Arsenal could seal late swoop to sign £25m star but Liverpool & Tottenham also keen
Arsenal could make a late move to sign Houssem Aouar after being told Lyon let him leave on loan but face competition from Liverpool and Tottenham
Arsenal could make a late move to sign Houssem Aouar after being told Lyon are willing to let the playmaker leave on loan this summer but face competition from Liverpool and Tottenham, according to the Mirror.
After coming through the youth ranks, Aouar has become an important part of the Lyon side since breaking into the first team in 2017/18 and he’s made over 170 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit.
However, the 23-year-old is expected to leave this summer as Lyon desperately need to offload some high earners to help balance the books and Aouar is seen an one of the most sellable assets in their squad.
Arsenal have long been linked with a move for the French U21 international having tried to sign him last year and The Athletic reported earlier this month that the Gunners have held talks with Lyon over a possible move this summer.
It was assumed Arsenal’s interest in Aouar ended when they bought Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid last week, however, the Mirror suggests the Londoners could yet make a late move for the Frenchman before the window closes after being told Lyon are ready to let him leave on loan.
More creativity
The newspaper cites a report from Get French Football News that claims Lyon have offered Aouar for sale at £25m this summer but with time running out until the window slams shut, they are now willing to let the playmaker leave on a season-long loan with an obligation to make the move permanent next summer.
Mikel Arteta’s side are yet to score a goal in the Premier League this season and have lacked creativity at times so Arsenal could be tempted to sign Aouar on loan if Willian and Lucas Torreira seal their proposed moves to Corinthians and Fiorentina.
Aouar is predominantly a central midfielder but can play out wide if needed so he’d give Arteta another versatile creative option if he brought the Lyon star to the Emirates Stadium before Tuesday night’s deadline.
However, the Gunners will face competition as they aren’t the only English side in the running with the Mirror claiming that Tottenham and Liverpool are also showing a keen interest in signing Aouar this summer.
Competition
Spurs have been heavily linked with Aouar in recent weeks as new boss Nuno Espirito Santo looks to revamp his squad and the French star could be viewed as a potential replacement for Tanguay Ndombele – who’s being linked with a move.
Jurgen Klopp has been quiet in the market so far this summer but the Liverpool boss could still take the opportunity to sign Aouar on loan as he still hasn’t signed a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum following his move to PSG.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming days but it looks like Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool could be set to battle-it-out over a deal to sign Aouar on an initial season long loan and he’d be a terrific signing for whoever wins the race.
