ARSENAL have reportedly made an offer to Lyon for midfield gem Houssem Aouar following a drop in the asking price for the player.
Le 10 Sport says the Ligue 1 star could cost the Gunners under a third of the £54million fee club officials hoped to get in 2020.
Aouar, 23, had been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates before the start of the 2020-21 season.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is thought to be keen on the versatile attacker who can play centrally or on the wing.
In September reports in France claimed Lyon had turned their noses up at two separate bids from the North London giants of £31m and £34.5m.
However, Le 10 Sport says the Gunners have returned with a fresh offer for the midfielder whose current contract with the French outfit runs out in 2023.
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And it is thought LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain could be set to rival Arsenal for the France player’s signature.
Lyon, who finished fourth last term, are reportedly after £17m to £21m for Aouar.
It is believed the club’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League may have influenced a drop in price.
However, the player faced some fitness struggles last term after picking up a thigh injury in November 2020.
The Lyon-born ace’s spell on the treatment table led to him missing out on France’s involvement in Uefa’s Nations League after being called up by Didier Deschamps
And Aouar was also left out of the Les Bleus squad for this year’s European Championships.
In June SunSport reported Arsenal were preparing a contract worth £100,000-a-week in a bid to lure Aouar to the Emirates.
The club are looking to boost their midfield ranks after finishing eighth in the Prem last term and missing out on a place in Europe.
The Ligue 1 star, who began his career in Lyon’s academy at 11, notched up eight goals and four assists in 33 appearances across all competitions last season.
However, Aouar appeared in eight fewer games than he did in the 2019-20 season.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
