Arsenal in Houssem Aouar Contact Over January Move

Do Arsenal Stand a Chance?

The issue of finance remains exactly the same, although interest from other clubs may have dissipated, opening the door for Arsenal to pounce.

Juventus failed in the summer to bring Aouar to Turin, this despite lodging a €55m bid that was accepted by the French side. In return, Federico Bernardeschi was going to move over temporarily on an expensive loan.

Everything was agreed, only for Italian to refuse the departure.

I Bianconeri were the main competition alongside Arsenal, with Real Madrid following closely behind. The situation at Manchester United with Paul Pogba will have perked the ears of Zinedine Zidane, and could avert their gaze towards Old Trafford as opposed to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Financially, Madrid aren’t blessed and Aouar poses a more lucrative deal and age bracket, but the mutual love between Zidane and Pogba won’t have vanished overnight. It could play in Arsenal’s favour.

All that said, it doesn’t alter the issue of money, which has Arsenal scrambling. Arteta has stated already that he and the club have limitations coming into the January window, beyond the usual difficulties that come with signing players mid-season.

Much will depend on who can be shifted out that month, and while speculation would indicate a few departures are plausible, you’d be hard pressed to envisage a January window where Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Ozil all leave to ease the wage bill.

After those, coupled with the owners injection and a potential permanent departure or two, then maybe we can talk.