Tottenham are reportedly ready to enter the race for Arsenal target Houssem Aouar and are willing to pay his asking price of €25 million to Lyon.
According to Le 10 Sport, Tottenham are showing interest in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar and are prepared to pay his asking price of €25 million to land him. There could be an intense battle on the cards for the Frenchman as Spurs’ arch-rivals Arsenal are also in the hunt for the midfielder.
It has been quite some time since the transfer window opened, but Houssem Aouar has had a quiet period until now. The Frenchman’s name was hardly been mentioned as a target for any big clubs across Europe, forcing Lyon to slash his asking price considerably. However, the tide seems to have changed as the demand soars for the player.
Arsenal have been mooted as a possible destination for Aouar after being heavily linked last summer. The Gunners could not strike a deal with Lyon, owing to the player’s desire to stay as well as the French club’s asking price. However, the Ligue 1 side are now asking considerably less for the player, and the Gunners are willing to pay.
A transfer fee ranging between €20 million and €25 million has been quoted to interested parties, and Arsenal have a new competitor in the race, Tottenham. The North London club had been busy for much of their time searching for a new manager, and since appointing Nuno Espirito Santo, they are scouring for appropriate players.
Aouar provides an interesting link between midfield and attack, while his numbers have been decent in the past seasons. He is more of an attacking midfielder and takes up multiple positions depending on how the game is progressing. His primary role as a central midfielder is attracting Arsenal towards him.
It is quite unclear where Tottenham want him to play if they sign him, considering they have plenty of options in central and attacking midfield as things stand. Spurs could be viewing this as an opportunity to sign a good player at the right age, and more importantly, available at a reasonable price.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are vigorously searching for a replacement for Granit Xhaka. Their priority remains signing Manuel Locatelli, while Aouar is their fallback option. With the Sassuolo midfielder eager to join Juventus, the Gunners might have made a firm offer to Lyon already.
When it comes to Aouar, he rejected a move last summer as he was waiting on other clubs such as Real Madrid or Juventus to make a move for him. With most of these top clubs cash strapped, they may not sign him until next summer. He might wait for them, but Lyon want to cash in now with two years left on his deal, handing an opportunity to Arsenal and Tottenham.
Aouar will be a good fit for either of the North London clubs. However, it is believed that Arsenal might have an edge after reportedly making an earlier offer. However, Tottenham could make their case with a reasonable bid and act fast on their reported interest in the player.
