French midfielder ‘hopes’ Arsenal will make move to sign him: Reports

French midfielder Houssem Aouar is still hoping that Arsenal will make an effort to sign him this summer.

The Olympique Lyonnais midfielder has been a long-term target for the Gunners. However, he saw his move to the Emirates collapse two years ago, as per The Mirror.

The north London club were determined to secure the signature of the French midfielder back in the summer of 2020 but failed to agree a fee with les Gones. Aouar's career has been on the wane since then and the creative midfielder is now believed to be struggling to attract suitors.

As reported by Spanish outlet L’Equipe, the 24-year-old has only attracted interest from Spanish La Liga side Real Betis.

However, the report claims that Aouar is holding out for a move to the Premier League and is not fascinated by the idea of joining the Spanish side.

The French midfielder has just one year left on his current deal at the Groupama Stadium and quite understandably, Lyon are happy to sell him while they can.

As reported by Football.London, Lyon could sell the midfielder for just €15million (£12.6million) having quoted £40 million for his services in 2020.

Aouar was one of the first names on the teamsheet for Lyon last season under Peter Bocz. He played a total of 44 games across all competitions during the 2021-22 campaign, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in the process.

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Should Arsenal reignite their interest in Houssem Aouar?

Houssem Aouar was one of the most in-form players in the world around 2020 when Arsenal wanted to sign him.

He is still just 24 years of age and has plenty of football left in him. But he has suffered somewhat of a slump in recent seasons. However, the fact that he is available for a bargain makes the Frenchman an interesting option for the Gunners.

Arsenal are in dire need of adding more quality and depth to their midfield ranks and Aouar could provide both.

Mikel Arteta's side have been linked with midfielders like Youri Tielemans and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer. Even if the Gunners land either of their primary targets, Aouar would still be a quality addition.