Houssem Aouar isn’t on his way to Juventus, according to David Ornstein, boosting Arsenal’s chances of a move for the midfielder.

Since fairly early on in the transfer window, the media have most strongly linked three clubs to Houssem Aouar – Arsenal, Manchester City and Juventus.

It appears we can take at least one of Arsenal’s competitors off the list, however. Speaking in his Ask Ornstein series for The Athletic, David Ornstein claimed the links to Juventus are overblown, and there’s little-to-no chance of that move happening.

“Reports suggesting that Houssem Aouar is going to sign for Juventus are not accurate,” Ornstein confirmed. “The last I knew, the feeling at Juventus was that there was no chance in that happening.

“So maybe Arsenal can be hopeful [on Aouar]. We know about that admiration, for Partey as well. But I think Arsenal are going to need to get some bodies out first and then we’ll see if either of them, both of them develop in the final weeks of the window.”

It’s worth noting that Ornstein did add that he doesn’t have inside information on Aouar to Arsenal. He’s not denying it, by any stretch, just explaining that he doesn’t know any more than we do at this stage.

As for Manchester City, Sam Lee recently tweeted that the move was ‘never a goer’. Lee is the Manchester City correspondent for The Athletic, so another good source.

For the time being, it seems like Arsenal have a free run at Aouar. That can always change, particularly once the bidding starts.

If the Gunners get close to a deal, that’s when any other club lurking knows the valuation and can match the offer. But for now, this is an encouraging update in the right direction.