Arsenal: One unfixable reservation in Houssem Aouar pursuit

Arsenal are interested in Lille youngster Houssem Aouar, and while that is exciting, there is one massive reservation that can’t be fixed.

There is a lot to like about Houssem Aouar and him coming to Arsenal. That’s why, next to Kai Havertz, he is the darling of the footballing world. Not to the extent that Havertz is, but a really solid second place. And the Gunners are reportedly pretty interested in the young Frenchman.

It’s plain to see why. Aouar plays the position we arguably need the most—he’s a midfield pivot that drives the ball forward, produces goals and contributes enough on the defensive side to not be a total burden in the center of the pitch. Which is all well and good. But no matter anyone tells me that’s good about Houssem Aouar, I can’t get past one unfixable reality. And that’s that he plays in Ligue 1.

Arsenal has always had this fascination with loading up on Ligue 1 players in crucial positions. When we needed a striker, they got Alexandre Lacazette. Needed a winger, got Nicolas Pepe. Even back in the day when we needed a defender, Laurent Koscielny. When we also needed a striker, Olivier Giroud.

I have a massive problem with relying too much on Ligue 1 players. They take way too long to acclimate. Way too long. Lacazette arguably still hasn’t. Giroud took forever. Koscielny didn’t gel right away.

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Honestly, Pepe has acclimated the quickest of the bunch, despite all the complaining.

We can’t take the pursuit of a midfield pivot seriously. We have to get someone that isn’t going to take six months, a year, 18 months to acclimate. That’s a setback that we can’t afford, not with how much Houssem Aouar is going to cost. Spending that much on him would necessitate an immediate fix. Think of how much we struggled with Pepe early on in the year. Some would say we still are struggling with him, though I’d beg to differ.

Are we really going to trust the fate of a rather important position to Ligue 1’s ability to give us a ready-now talent? Because I’m not really in favor of that life. Not when there are other options. Better options. Guys that I would believe in right from the start.

I would love to have Aouar, but like I said, with the money we’re going to be spending on him, he needs to be ready right away and I just don’t see that. If we add someone else, sure. But then what’s the point of spending money on him at all?