Houssem Aouar’s camp are surprised by Arsenal’s pursuit of James Maddison but remain hopeful of the club coming back in for their client.
According to The Sun, Houssem Aouar’s camp are surprised by Arsenal’s pursuit of James Maddison instead of the Frenchman. They hope the club fails in their pursuit of the Leicester City star and come back to sign the Lyon playmaker before the transfer window deadline.
Arsenal’s interest in Houssem Aouar stretches back to last summer when the North London side saw an ambitious £40 million offer rejected by Lyon in the closing stages of the window. The Premier League side then chose to sign Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid, although there were whispers of re-igniting their interest again in this window.
There have been many discussions of a possible move for the Frenchman, who has two years left on his deal with Lyon. However, due to the French side’s failure to qualify for the Champions League and the general financial struggles surrounding all Ligue 1 clubs, they have put Aouar up for sale.
Only this time, the playmaker is available for around £20-£25 million, and Arsenal were expected to sign him for the bargain price. The Gunners did show a liking early on but ceded their interest in the playmaker last month.
Aouar’s camp were hoping more interest from English and Spanish club to follow, which hasn’t been the case.
They are now hoping Arsenal come back and sign the player before the transfer window deadline on August 31st. However, the Gunners have since moved on to other priorities and are chasing James Maddison from Leicester City. The England international could cost over £60 million compared to Aouar’s price tag of around £25 million.
The north London side have even offered a player-plus-cash deal and given Leicester a choice to choose one of four reported players. However, the Foxes are holding out for an all-cash sale and remain uninterested in any players offered by the Gunners,
Meanwhile, Aouar’s camp hopes the Maddison chase falls flat and that Arsenal come back to sign their client. There are rumours of interest from Liverpool in Aouar, given that the Reds are in need of a midfielder to replace Georginio Wijnaldum, although nothing has materialised of it until now.
While Aouar fits the profile of players Arteta seeks for the playmaker role, the manager prefers Maddison given his calibre and experience in the Premier League. Worst case scenario, Aouar won’t be a bad option either, but as it stands, the Foxes’ star is Arsenal’s top priority.
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