Tottenham are set to challenge rivals Arsenal to the signing of Houssem Aouar with the French international ready to leave Lyon this summer.
According to Daily Mirror, Arsenal have a fight on their hands for Houssem Aouar, with cross-city rivals Tottenham ready to challenge them for the French midfielder. Arsenal have long been on Aouar’s trail and would be disappointed at the prospect of the French international playing for their fierce rivals.
Arsenal’s transfer plans are slowly taking shape, with concrete links to some top players emerging each week. The Gunners are understood to be closing in on defender Ben White; Mikel Arteta can now shift his attention towards signing a creative player. Arsenal finished 8th last term and were blamed for a lack of creativity in attack for it.
Martin Odegaard, who signed from Real Madrid on loan, was mooted as Arteta’s first choice for the creative position. However, the Norwegian is set to stay in Madrid, leaving Arteta to search for an alternative. Houssem Aouar, who was heavily linked with a move last summer, is back on Arsenal’s radar to that end.
However, it has now emerged that rivals Tottenham are interested in Aouar and could challenge sign him. Aouar’s asking price was the sticking point in a transfer last summer, but Lyon have considerably slashed his value, with a fee between £20 million and £25 million price deemed enough to sign the 22-year-old.
Spurs have been struggling to get their bearings right since the end of last season. So far, the club’s sole focus has been on signing a new manager, but if they are to compete next season, a look towards their squad should be necessary. With the links to Houssem Aouar, they might be going in the right direction.
However, there is so much uncertainty at the club at the moment, with the manager situation, unhappy fans, and talisman Harry Kane’s future. The collective uncertainty could put off a player’s interest in joining the side for the time being. If Arsenal are to move for Aouar faster than Tottenham, the chances of the French international joining the Emirates outfit remains higher.
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That is not to say Tottenham are not an attractive proposition for any player, with a solid standing in the Premier League and a new stadium all contributing towards their greatness for the future.
Eventually, it would depend on Aouar, who in general would like to evaluate his options after it is clear that his departure from Lyon would be inevitable. Like last year, Aouar is expected to wait for all offers on the table before choosing his preferred destination. Now, will that be Arsenal, Tottenham or someone else altogether?
