Arsenal are looking to reinforce their midfield for the new footballing season and have identified Lyon star Houssem Aouar as their primary target. The Premier League side recently submitted a bid to the French side for the young midfielder however it was rejected with the Ligue 1 team deeming the offer as ‘too far from’ the 22-year-old’s transfer fee. This could mean that the footballer might stay put at Lyon for another year. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Transfer News Update: Striker Pledges Future to Arsenal with New 3-Year Deal.

It is understood that Arsenal submitted an initial bid of €35 million (£32m/$41m) to bring Houssem Aouar to north London and the French midfielder also open for a move. However, Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas stated that the offer was too low as the French side currently value their star midfielder at around €60m (£55m/$70m). Bukayo Saka Signs Long-Term Deal With Arsenal.

With Arsenal’s bid rejected, Houssem Aouar will feature for Lyon during their weekend clash against Lorient in Ligue 1. Taking to his Twitter, Lyon president Aulas said ‘There will be very few departures. For Houssem, Arsenal are too far from his value. We are counting on him to play a great game in Lorient and lead Lyon into the Champions League next year’

Clubs such as Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain have been linked with the talented midfielder in recent months but it looks like Arsenal are in pole position to sign Houssem Aouar if the right transfer fee is submitted to Lyon. The 22-year-old footballer’s current contract with the French side runs until 2023.

Houssem Aouar graduated from Lyon’s youth academy making his debut for the side in 2017 and since then racked up 139 appearances for the club, scoring 24 goals and providing 27 assists. The midfielder is an important part of Rudi Garcia’s team but with the team sitting in 12th in the league, his future could be elsewhere.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2020 06:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).