Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was desperate to sign Lyon star Houssem Aouar last summer. The entire transfer window was filled with rumours about our interest in the mercurial Frenchman and a deal even looked certain at one point.
However, Lyon remained adamant that they wanted £55 million for their star creator and that proved to be too much for us. Arsenal shifted their attention to Thomas Partey and we ended up signing him on transfer deadline day.
The Gunners really struggled in the first half of last season. We had no creativity in our side whatsoever and that really cost us. Arsenal only recovered after Emile Smith Rowe burst onto the scene in December. That showed just how important a number 10 is to our system.
Martin Odegaard came in on loan and became a huge hit at Arsenal. Arteta reportedly made him his number one target for this summer, but The Athletic revealed this week that the Norwegian will stay at Real Madrid.
That has forced Arteta and Edu to look for a different option and it now looks like the Gunners have revived their interest in Aouar.
Arsenal will try to sign Houssem Aouar again
The Sun have claimed today that the Gunners are interested in Aouar again and the Frenchman is now available at a huge discount.
Lyon’s £55 million valuation of him from last summer has dropped considerably due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League. The report claims that Les Gones are now prepared to let the Frenchman leave for as little as £20 million.
That’s a £35 million drop in asking price and it’s no wonder that Arsenal are keen to sign him again. The report claims that Edu is now preparing a £100k-a-week contract to lure him in, and it looks like it could really happen if we table a bid soon.
The Insider’s View?
Arsenal fans would’ve snapped your arm off if you offered Aouar for £20 million last summer. However, a lot has happened over the last 12 months, and there are plenty of other options on the market now.
Yes, at £20 million, Aouar is as good a bargain as you will get this summer. He is a sensational player who has all the qualities to reach the very top, but he will need time to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, and Arsenal cannot afford that.
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Odegaard and James Maddison are reportedly on top of our wish list and Arsenal will be better off signing either one of them, even though they will cost more than twice as much as what Aouar is reportedly available for this summer.
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