Arsenal will make an initial bid of more than €40m to sign Houssem Aouar soon, with Mikel Arteta making the midfielder his priority signing.

Lyon's French midfielder Houssem Aouar (L) dribbles during the French L1 football match between Girondins de Bordeaux and Lyon at the Matmut-Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on September 11, 2020. (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Lyon’s French midfielder Houssem Aouar (L) dribbles during the French L1 football match on September 11, 2020. (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Telefoot report that Arsenal will soon make a concrete offer to sign Houssem Aouar from Lyon, planning an initial bid of more than €40m for the player. Mikel Arteta is making the 22-year-old his priority signing this summer.

It’s hard to say what Lyon will make of the offer. Earlier in the summer, L’Equipe reported that the Ligue 1 side wanted €60m for him, and were unlikely to settle for less. But perhaps the situation is a little different now.

Speaking this week, David Ornstein confirmed that Juventus aren’t currently in the race for Aouar. The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee recently tweeted that City aren’t in for him either. Those two were Arsenal’s primary competition.

Lyon sporting director Juninho even publicly admitted they’re still waiting for the first bid for Aouar. So it’s hard for them to claim they’re within their rights to refuse to negotiate, without anyone else willing to pay the €60m asking price.

At the same time, I wouldn’t expect Lyon to accept Arsenal’s first offer. They tend to drive a hard bargain, and there’s still plenty of time left in the transfer window. But it’s a start.