Houssem Aouar insists he is "happy" at Lyon and may stay with the club for at least another season despite coming close to joining Arsenal during the transfer window.
Aouar agreed personal terms with the Gunners but the club saw two bids for the France midfielder rejected by Lyon sporting director Juninho.
Instead, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta turned to his other priority midfield target and met the release clause of Thomas Partey to prise him from Atletico Madrid on Deadline Day.
The Gunners will reportedly reignite their interest in Aouar in January or next summer, but in the meantime the 22-year-old insists he is content at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
"I spoke a lot with Juninho," Aouar told French outlet Telefoot . "He shows me his confidence every day: it’s a real pleasure to work with him.
"To stay here for another season, or more, with him, it’s a great pride."
Aouar, who scored nine goals in 41 games last season, added: "I’m happy to stay in Lyon. It’s my city, my club: it’s a great pride to represent Olympique Lyonnais.
"It wasn’t necessarily Arsenal or nothing else, even though at the end it was basically that. I had to make a decision and I am happy to stay here."
While Aouar is usually deployed in a variety of attacking midfield roles, Partey has made his name as one of the finest defensive midfielders in Europe.
Upon signing the Ghanaian, Arteta said: "We have been watching Thomas for a while, so we're now delighted to add such a high-quality player to our squad.
Should Arsenal return for Aouar in the January window or next summer? Have your say here.
"He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy. He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.
"We're very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. He's an intelligent footballer and we're looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we're building at the moment at the club."
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