Mikel Arteta has been a big fan of Houssem Aouar for two years and hopes he can be for Arsenal what Kevin De Bruyne is to Man City.
The Gunners hope to sign the 22-year-old Lyon midfielder before the transfer window slams shut on October 5 and ESPN report the manager has been following Aouars progress for a while.
Aouar could still join Arsenal before the transfer window closes
He caught Arteta’s eye when he took control of a game between Man City and Lyon in the Champions League in 2018, a game he took charge of when Pep Guardiola was suspended, which the French side won 2-1.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas insisted a deal must be done by Friday and have now signed a possible replacement in Lucas Paqueta.
It would be a lot of pressure to put on Aouar’s shoulders considering the achievements the Belgium midfielder has enjoyed with City.
De Bruyne won the Premier League player of the season and PFA award in 2019/20
De Bruyne has been integral their recent success under Guardiola since joining in 2015 from Wolfsburg, winning two Premier League titles, four League Cups and the FA Cup.
De Bruyne was also named Premier League Player of the Season in 2019/20 thanks to his 13 goals and 20 assists, with the latter equalling Thierry Henrys record.
Mikel Arteta ‘a better coach than Lampard, Solskjaer and Mourinho’
Aouars creativity in midfielder is exactly what Artetas Arsenal is crying out for at the moment.
There is still work to be done on the transfer, though, with Lyon believed to want a fee in the region of £36million to £41million.
They face competition from Juventus, though, with reports suggesting the Serie A club have entered the race at this late stage.
Speaking on his podcast, journalist Fabrizio Romano said: “Arsenal are still working to get Aouar. They are in love with this player. Arteta wants him. The situation with Aouar is still absolutely alive. Aouar is the main target for Arsenal, more than [Atletico midfielder] Thomas Partey at this moment.”