Arsenal set to sign Lyon’s Houssem Aouar

Houssem Aouar to Arsenal has been a transfer rumour for some time now. After concrete links with Man City and Juventus, it is now highly probable that Mikel Arteta has convinced the 22-year old French midfielder to join Arsenal. It is believed that agreeing personal terms with the player will not be an issue. With a 5-year contract and substantial wages increase on what he currently earns at Lyon, Aouar joining might seem only like a matter of time. But however, the bottleneck in the process seems to be the valuation difference. While Lyon want closer to €60 million, Arsenal are not prepared to pay that much. However, they have made a formal €35 million bid at the moment. 

Aouar has been coveted by some of the top clubs for some time now. And for good reason as well. Despite only 22, he has made around 100 appearances for the club so far. A midfielder adept in defence and attack, Aouar ticks most of the boxes for an all-rounder in the middle of the park. As per Whoscored, he made 1.1 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game in Ligue 1 last season. Offensively, he created 1.8 chances per game and made 1.4 key passes per game. As far as attacking contributions goes, on an average, he has managed to score around 5 goals and provide 6 assists per season.

The other option in midfield for Arsenal is Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey. But protected by a €50 million release clause, the London club is looking for other ways to pay up the money demanded. It remains to be seen who they choose between these two options. But should they go forward with Houssem Aouar, it would definitely be a top signing from the Gunners and yet another good player will be seen featuring frequently in the Premier League. 

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