Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is putting the pressure on Arsenal to close a deal for Houssem Aouar by setting a deadline for the transfer.

According to Lyon president Aulas, the club are setting an internal deadline for the sale of Houssem Aouar. The transfer deadline for European clubs is next Monday, but Aulas wants their business done earlier than that.

“We will tell the players that whatever will not be settled in terms of departures before Friday, there will be no more departures,” Aulas told Telefoot (via Goal).

“So for us, the [closing] date of the transfer window will be Friday. From Friday, the players who have not left will not leave.”

Then, speaking to Canal Plus, reporters asked the club president how much Lyon wanted for Aouar. The interviewer prompted with “€40m, €50m?” to which Aulas responded (via GFFN): “It is certainly more than the first number that you mentioned.”

If we’re being cynical, it looks like Lyon are also using more covert media tactics to try and hurry Arsenal up. RMC’s Mohamed Bouhafsi reported today that Juventus made an enquiry for Aouar yesterday, though no offer just yet.

It seems very unlikely Juventus sign another midfielder. They already brought in Arthur and Weston McKennie this summer, as well as bringing back Hans Nicolussi from loan.

Add those three to Rodrigo Bentancur, Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey and Sami Khedira. Even Dejan Kulusevski (another addition returning from loan) can and has played in midfield for Juventus.

Not to mention David Ornstein recently reported that “the feeling at Juventus was that there was no chance in that (Aouar to Juventus) happening”.

It seems more likely Lyon are just using Juventus to try and put the pressure on Arsenal.