According to reports, Arsenal may have to battle it out with arch-rivals Tottenham for the signature of Olympique Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar. It is believed that both the North London clubs are keen on the player.
Arsenal have been big spenders this summer and have spent a total of £129 million so far, the most amongst Premier League clubs. But, the results against Brentford and Chelsea indicate that the Gunners need more influx of fresh and talented signings before the transfer window slams shut.
Last week, the Gunners confirmed the signing of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent deal for £30 million. They also solidified their goalkeeping department by adding Aaron Ramsdale to their squad from Sheffield United.
However, it seems that Arteta is not done with the transfer window yet and wants to add some more players. Arsenal have been working on bringing in Houssem Aouar from Lyon this summer. The 23-year-old midfielder has been a target for the Gunners since last season and the transfer looked very likely this year after Lyon reduced their asking price significantly, but the failure to secure a deal has allowed their bitter rivals to get into the mix.
Arsenal face Houssem Aouar transfer battle with Tottenhamhttps://t.co/Q6uOIlbA6l pic.twitter.com/1kgt5Bqh8X
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) August 21, 2021
It has now become a battle between Arsenal and Tottenham on who will sign Aouar before the deadline day on 31st August. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano stated that the two North London clubs are interested in securing a move for the Lyon player. Romano said on Don Robbie’s Youtube channel:
“I would keep an eye on Aouar till the last day of the window because now still some rumours we have with Tottenham and with Arsenal.”
“These two clubs are really interested in Aouar.”
Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici was interested in getting the Frenchman during his time at Juventus and he is now keen on bringing him to Tottenham. With their arch-rivals also involved in the race to sign the player, this transfer might go down to the wire.
However, Arsenal will need to offload a few players before bringing in a new signing. The situation with Willian is not clear as of yet while Hector Bellerin wishes to make the switch away from Emirates and has been left frustrated by the club’s reluctance to find him a suitable transfer. The Spanish right-back was linked with a move to Inter, but that door is closed now as the Serie A club signed Denzel Dumfries from PSV.
Houssem Aouar is a creative midfielder and has been on Arsenal’s radar for quite a while now. The Frenchmen has spent most of his career at Lyon. Last season, he had 7 goals and 3 assists to his name. Because he plays in Ligue 1, the demands of the Premier League will test the player’s abilities and talent if he is to make the switch from France to England this summer.
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Arsenal fans have been mulling about the possible transfer of Houssem Aouar from Lyon, but now that they have signed Martin Odegaard, it gives Tottenham an advantage to aggressively approach the player as the Gunners first need to offload players. However, the fact that the Gunners are still in the race to sign the Frenchman, despite their massive spending this summer, is a positive sign for the supporters.
Arsenal are also reportedly in a search of a new striker with Lacazette rumoured to have been offered to a few clubs, but so far, they have drawn blanks. A striker and a midfielder are what the Gunners are looking to cover before the deadline day and only time will tell if Arsenal do get the better of Tottenham in their pursuit to sign Aouar. A lot can happen before the deadline day and Arsenal supporters will be hoping it turns out in their favour.
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