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Arsenal have reportedly not given up hopes of signing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, despite failing in their bid to acquire his services in the previous transfer window.
Arsenal had multiple bids for the midfielder rejected by Lyon and could not finalise a deal over the summer. This left the Gunners with a creative hole in midfield, which has only just started to be rectified by the emergence of Gunners youngster Emile Smith-Rowe.
Mikel Arteta, however, believes that Smith-Rowe is too young to fully take over the reins as Arsenal's primary playmaker and sees Houssem Aouar as the man to take on that role.
According to football expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are still on the lookout for a creative midfielder. He said:
"They are still looking for this kind of player, they were also trying for [Dominik] Szoboszlai who then joined Leipzig, but they were trying really for Dominik Szoboszlai. And also Aouar has always been the first target for Arsenal. They love him and they are convinced he would be perfect in their midfield."
The Italian added:
"The problem is that Lyon are asking for €60million (£53.3m) they are having an amazing season, they want to be back in the Champions League, so at the moment with the president of Lyon it’s really hard to negotiate in January for this kind of player."
Houssem Aouar would be a dream signing for Arsenal, and the club will be hoping that they will be able to sign him at some point in the future.
Arsenal looking at other midfield options
Houssem Aouar isn't the only player that Arsenal are looking at to solve their creative woes in midfield. The Gunners have also been linked with Norwich City midfielder Emiliano Buendia.
The Argentine has been a stand-out player for Norwich City this season, and Mikel Arteta considers him to be a cut-price option during the January transfer window. However, the Canaries have slapped a £40-million price tag on the player to keep away potential suitors.
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma. The Mali international has been one of the few bright sparks for the club this season, and Arteta is reportedly keen on seeing him partner Thomas Partey in the Gunners midfield.
