Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais are once again seeing their midfield ace Houssem Aouar being targeted by Arsenal this January transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The North-London side are ‘convinced’ that Aouar is the answer to their creativity issues from the center of midfield.
Italian sports journalist and transfer expert, Romano, insists that the Gunners are still on the lookout for a player of his type after failing to sign Dominik Szoboszlai.
“They are still looking for this kind of player, they were also trying for [Dominik] Szoboszlai who then joined Leipzig, but they were trying really for Dominik Szoboszlai,” Romano said on the Feather on Football podcast.
During last summer’s transfer window, Aouar was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium. Again this time out, reports linking him with a move to Arsenal have started to come to the surface in the last few days.
“And also Aouar has always been the first target for Arsenal. They love him and they are convinced he would be perfect in their midfield.
“The problem is that Lyon is asking for €60million (£53.3m) they are having an amazing season, they want to be back in the Champions League, so at the moment with the president of Lyon it’s really hard to negotiate in January for this kind of player.”
(Image: Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images).
Arsenal is clearly a big fan of Aouar, but it seems like this transfer window will end like the previous one with no agreement being reached. Lyon wants €60 million for their midfield maestro, and with reports earlier this week stating that the Gunners only have €20 million to spend on a midfielder this month, the transfer seems unlikely.
Edu Gaspar issues Torreira update
Edu Gaspar, Arsenal’s technical director, has confirmed that a number of clubs are tracking the developments of midfielder Lucas Torreira, who is currently on loan at Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid.
The Uruguayan is reportedly heading back to north London soon and have his loan spell cut short as he has struggled for opportunities to impress in Spain this term, racking up just 13 appearances in all competitions. But should he return to Arsenal, it is difficult to imagine that he would gain a place within Mikel Arteta’s side.
“The situation is very simple. Arsenal is concerned about Torreira, his happiness, that he plays, and that he is well,” said Edu, according to Football London. “We want to know about him how he feels and, later, of course, know what Atletico thinks.
“For us, Lucas and his happiness is what is more important. If everyone is happy, we will continue like this, if Lucas is not well, we will look for a change because there are many teams that are calling me to ask about the player’s situation.”
