Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed Arsenal’s bid for Houssem Aouar that was immediately rejected
Aouar has emerged as one of Arsenal’s top transfer targets as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield line.
The Gunners have already taken initial steps towards signing the French starlet, making an official offer reportedly worth around $44.6 million.
However, Les Gones are not as nearly interested in selling their prized asset for such a figure, as confirmed by the club bigwig Jean-Michel Aulas.
“For Houssem, Arsenal is too far from his value,” he said, as relayed by NBC. “We are counting on him to play a great match in Lorient [on Sunday] and lead OL in the CL [Champions League] in the next year.”
I'm told that Arsenal are prepared to offer an initial €40m with €10m in add ons in a second bid for Houssem Aouar. https://t.co/FFLg7g83ru
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) September 26, 2020
Aouar has soaked up the limelight as Lyon’s headline performer during their stellar Champions League run to the semi-finals back in 2019/20.
Widely regarded as one of the most promising playmakers in Europe’s top-five leagues, the 22-year-old has also attracted interest from Juventus and Manchester City.
Since the French side failed to qualify for the Champions League following a disappointing domestic campaign last season, they seemed likely to renounce several of their first-team stars.
One of them is certainly Aouar, who has a host of admirers across Europe and will command a hefty price tag.
But, Aulas is determined to stick to the valuation of his best midfielder despite the club’s financial struggle.
Meanwhile, Arteta is willing to offload some of his fringe players, including Lucas Torreira, Mateo Guendouzi, and Mohamed Elneny, to make room for Aouar.
