Arsenal prepare Houssem Aouar transfer on bargain deal

You may remember him from such transfer stories as ‘I know what Arsenal didn’t do last summer’ and ‘Honey, I shirked this deal’, but back for another bite of the cherry it appears as if a new offer is being launched for none other than Houssem Aouar.

The trace for Aouar went cold very quickly. For about six months he was the most wanted man in north London with every Twitter display picture some variation of the Frenchman wearing an Arsenal shirt.

Mikel Arteta’s side, desperate for creative reinforcements this summer, have been linked with every man and his dog. The likes of Martin Odegaard now appear beyond the Gunners reach while newfound adoration for James Maddison for £60m would also, well…appear beyond their reach. At least financially.

Thus enter Houssem Aouar, who is absolutely nothing like the aforementioned duo.

Arsenal prepare Houssem Aouar transfer on bargain deal with Lyon selling midfielder for cut-price £20m in summer window

Fans were pining for his signature so intently that when Lyon’s huge £55m asking price (it was actually closer to £45m unlike what the report states) proved a step too far for Arsenal they switched attentions to a defensive midfielder for £10m less. Logic.

Since then, Aouar has gone off the boil and off most supporters’ wishlists. Starting only 23 Ligue 1 matches last term due to a combination of lost form and injury, he’s drifted away from the public eye. Not Arsenal’s, it would seem, at least according to Jordan Davies of The Sun.

A dreadful source indeed; but one that has surprisingly been accurate with some Arsenal transfer news so far this summer.

From a financial point of view, it’s little surprise that Arsenal still have a vested interest in Aouar, considering his asking price has slashed by more than half to a measly £20m in just less than 12 months. Lyon are in dire straits financially (should have sold him the first time, eh Aulas?) and issues with TV licensing in France have made Ligue 1 a pet shop of desirable player options to pick up and take home.

As per the report, Arteta’s side are readying a £100k-per-week contract for the 22-year-old (it’s rare that such information gets leaked) and are ahead of the race in regards to other interested parties.

The general consensus is that Aouar has been distinctly worse than he was in 2019/20, a statement that isn’t quite as true as some may lead you to believe. Let’s take a look.

Continued…