Tottenham rival Arsenal for bargain Houssem Aouar transfer

Here we are again with Arsenal having an invested interest in someone only for another club to show their hand and try to beat them to the post. This time it’s Tottenham entering the race and, of course, it’s Houssem Aouar who is the target.

What is it that Arsenal want in their midfield? Of the vast pool of talent across Europe who could improve the squad, Mikel Arteta is supposedly looking at every profile and player imaginable to raise the ceiling.

Houssem Aouar is a simple one. Almost feels like the easy one.

Any player so heavily courted that becomes available for less than half the price fewer than 12 months down the line is surely an opportunity lying in wait.

Tottenham rival Arsenal for bargain Houssem Aouar transfer as Mikel Arteta eyes midfield reinforcements during summer window

Throw in having the upper hand financially with the rest of Europe scrambling for cash to stay afloat let alone bring in new signings and the only surprise is that it’s less than a month before the new Premier League season kicks off and Aouar is still not an Arsenal player.

As far as negotiations would pan out, with Lyon in desperate need of cash – as made clear by the significant drop in asking price – and previous suitors easing off the case, convincing the midfielder to move to a club without European football feels like the only stumbling block.

Personal terms would surely run smoothly with the Gunners certain to offer the 23-year-old an improvement on his current salary, so why haven’t Arteta and co made their move? We’re talking about £20m for someone worth £50m last September.

Maybe, and here is a thought, he isn’t the number one target?

It does feel admittedly wrong for there to be a sudden change of heart on Aouar in a such a short space of time because the playmaker role he would fill had only been temporarily plugged by Martin Odegaard‘s January loan. Yet here we are.

The lack of signings, and sales, made is beginning to get supporters’ bums twitching. It will double from one to two before the end of the week as Albert Sambi Lokonga joins and other than that the only hot iron is Ben White, who while classed as ‘imminent‘ might take a little while longer with him enjoying some deserved time off.

To get the needle moving Arsenal urgently need an attacking midfielder and (another after Lokonga) central midfielder. These are the problem areas – not Tammy Abraham – that need seeing to.

Will Tottenham kick their rivals into action?

Continued…

Tottenham Interest in Aouar Likely Negotiation Tactics

As per a source few should give much credence to, Le10Sport, they insisted that Arsenal have made a bid of under €20m for Aouar with Lyon holding out for just over that. Additionally in their report they included Tottenham entering the party, which has since been backed up Julien Laurens.

Fairly well connected, he states Spurs have entered the race with Arsenal still keen.

There is less of a sense of ‘Tottenham are getting involved so Arsenal move quick’ and more ‘so, erm, Tottenham are involved, Arsenal you best pay attention and, you know, make a bid and that, please’.

In other words, negotiation tactics to try and speed up a sale.

Spurs could absolutely be keen but it’s hard to see where Aouar fits into their team. If anything, that part of the pitch is the one within Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad that is most covered.

Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Dele Alli, Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko all either can or do play as No. 8’s, and if Santo instills his back three system he prefers two less attack-minded central midfielders. Aouar has the capability to play on the left of that front three yet Santo prefers pace in those areas.

Due to the price he’s available at, however, it could easily be a case of signing the player then working out the finer details afterwards.

Even without any European football – Spurs’ Conference League is unlikely to swing the pendulum – Arsenal would surely find themselves in a position where they have the upper hand over their rivals.

A history of French players, a club known for enticing wages and a long-standing interest should see them through so long as any other European big-hitters don’t consolidate their interest.

Which is why it seems as if Aouar could be a backup to other targets. Edu is said to be persisting with Manuel Locatelli and while a totally different player, if that fails as everyone expects it to then whatever money isn’t spent could be invested elsewhere.

It remains to be seen but if Arsenal really, really wanted Aouar, surely they would have done something by now. The clock is ticking.