Despite being constantly linked with a move to the red side of north London last summer, a deal never materialised and Houssem Aouar remained a Lyon player.
He went on to make 33 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring eight times and weighing in with four assists. But, with the Ligue 1 side failing to secure Champions League qualification for next season, Aouar to Arsenal rumours resurfaced.
Although the Gunners will be hopeful that they can finally get their man this time around, it is now being reported that they will face competition from their fiercest rivals for his signature.
According to the Sunday Mirror, Spurs are also looking to add creativity to their midfield and the 22-year-old features on new director of football Fabio Paratici’s list of targets.
Tottenham and Arsenal didn’t have the best of seasons last time out, finishing seventh and eighth in the Premier League respectively. Because of that poor showing, the two are undergoing their own specific summer of change and need reinforcements in certain areas on the pitch.
With limited options in the more advanced midfield role currently available on both sides of north London, it makes sense that the two clubs are monitoring Aouar’s situation closely.
With that in mind, both clubs should remind themselves of what Lyon’s President, Jean-Michel Aulas, had to say about letting the Frenchman go.
"The departure of Houssem is not a wish of OL," Aulas admitted at a news conference . "If he wishes to leave, we will try to accompany him, as we have done for many years.
"Afterwards, if the offers do not correspond to what we want, he will stay in Lyon and we will be very happy."
