For weeks it did look inevitable that Houssem Aouar would end up at Arsenal, but the longer this has dragged on then the more likely it was that a late twist would crop up.
Nobody is going to dispute that Arsenal want to sign the Lyon star and bids have been made, but it’s clear that the move would’ve happened now if they were able to meet Lyon’s demands.
READ MORE: Deal agreed: Arsenal set to bank up to €20m for ace but one final obstacle remains
It doesn’t sound like the French club really care where he ends up, so it won’t surprise anyone if they are desperately trying to flog him to the highest bidder, and panic purchases will happen later on in the window.
The latest reports from France will be worrying to the fans, as Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has personally made contact to try and make this happen:
Breaking | L’Équipe report that Real Madrid have now entered the race for Houssem Aouar – contacts initiated by Zinedine Zidane. More follows.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) October 2, 2020
Real haven’t made any notable signings this summer but they have managed to offload Gareth Bale with they sold Borja Mayoral to Roma today, so they might have the funds to make a late move.
They haven’t been impressive on the pitch either and they could do with some kind of creative spark in the team, especially with Eden Hazard being ruled out through injury yet again.
The other possibility is that these stories are being spread by Lyon to try and scare Arsenal into action, but the fans can’t be feeling so confident after the latest developments.