Good evening, Arsenal fans. Here are your evening headlines for Saturday, October 3.
Lyon claim Aouar is staying put
Lyon have announced Houssem Aouar will remain at the club this summer despite continued interest from Arsenal.
The 22-year-old was understood to be a top target for the Gunners, but a deadline of Friday was set for any deal to be completed.
That has now passed and RMC Sport has reported that Lyon are no longer willing to negotiate with clubs for Aouar or Memphis Depay, who was linked with Barcelona.
The Gunners were expected to return with an improved bid for Aouar, having seen their opening offer rejected.
But their hopes of signing the Frenchman, as things stand, look to be over.
Torreira close to Atletico move
Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira is on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid on loan.
The Gunners hoped to sell the midfielder this summer but the Spanish club were reluctant to commit to a permanent deal.
Torreira has been seen in Madrid after undergoing a medical, and an official announcement is expected imminently.
His exit might allow Mikel Arteta to invest in a replacement, though Aouar appears to be out of reach after Lyon’s latest update.
Arsenal remain interested in Atletico’s Thomas Partey, too, and he could be seen as a direct upgrade on Torreira.
Martinez claims leaving Arsenal for Villa is a ‘step up’
Emiliano Martinez believes he has made a “step up” in his career after joining Aston Villa from Arsenal.
The Argentine goalkeeper impressed towards the end of last season with the Gunners, but could not keep Bernd Leno out of the team permanently.
He chose to move to Villa in search of guaranteed first-team football, and has so far kept two clean sheets in two Premier League games.
“I'm in the best shape of my career and when I didn't have the security of that game time, I wasn't sure about staying,” Martinez told Sky Sports.
“I'm fighting to be Argentina's number one, that's my dream.
“Aston Villa is a massive club, I had no doubts over coming here. Everyone thinks it's a step down going from Arsenal to Villa, but I actually think it's a step up in my career.”
