If there is anything Arsenal fans will not wish to hear, then it is the interest in Houssem Aouar by other clubs but sadly, that is already happening.

The latest reports have claimed that a Champions League team is also interested in the signature of the Lyon midfielder but they are only keeping it late to land him this summer transfer window.

Lyon director Juninho hints that the final two weeks of the summer transfer window could have the Champions League club step forward with their bid for Houssem Aouar.

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The Telegraph also reports that the Gunners’ rivals will be willing to pay the £54 million wanted by the French Ligue 1 outfit for Houssem Aouar and that could lure the player into agreeing on the deal as he will fancy a Champions League football ahead of the Europa League.

No doubt, Houssem Aouar is a top target for manager Mikel Arteta which makes the Gunners insist on his signature. For Arsenal to be able to land the Lyon midfielder, they will have to sell more players to boost their financial strength.

Arsenal have already cashed in £20 million from the sale of Emi Martinez and will have to do more to get rid of more players if they must meet the valuation by the French Ligue 1 outfit.

If you have ever heard that Barcelona star Lionel Messi was linked with a move to the English Premier League outfit Arsenal in the past and doubt that it is true. It has been talked about again.

Lionel Messi’s former agent has recalled how the Argentina international came close to becoming a Gunner in 2003 with former manager Arsene Wenger making an attempt to snap him up.

Speaking to Marca, Fabian Soldini said Lionel Messi was close to joining Arsenal as he was tempted by the offers from the English Premier League side but he later opted not to go.

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According to him, the North London outfit were only able to prise away Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas because he accepted to leave as both were asked by the Catalans to go.

Cesc Fabregas went ahead to develop at the North London club but Lionel Messi became a more prominent figure in the game, and all of the feats would have been achieved in an Arsenal shirt.

With the number of players reported to have been linked with Arsenal under former manager Arsene Wenger, there is no doubt that the Frenchman is one of the best scouts, even as a manager, having identified such talent from a very young age.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made the addition of a central midfielder his top priority for the rest of this summer’s transfer market according to the Daily Mirror.

Arteta could even need to sign two central midfielders with the future of young French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi in serious doubt at the club.

Matteo Guendouzi is not in Arteta’s plans, and the club is ready to listen to offers for him.

In his bid to sign a midfielder, Mikel Arteta wants to offload two defenders to provide non-homegrown space and funds for new arrivals.

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Defenders Shkrodan Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac could be on their way out of Arsenal before the current transfer market closes in 12 days’ time.

Mustafi is the subject of a transfer enquiry from Italian Serie A side Lazio.

The German World Cup winner has less than a year on his Arsenal contract and a fee of around €15m as been mooted as the transfer figure required for his move from North London to Lazio.

Arsenal might negotiate his transfer for lesser as they try to cash in on him. The Gunners have adequate centre-back cover following the arrivals of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba from France.

Gunners left-back Sead Kolasinac is a big target for German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen with a fee of €10m being touted as the transfer figure needed for his move back to Germany.

Sead Kolasinac signed for the Gunners from German team Schalke 04 on a free transfer three years ago.

Premier League team Arsenal have been handed an ultimatum to fulfil the release clause obligations in the contract of Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey or risk losing out on him.

Renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed via his official Twitter account that the Gunners will have to pay the €50m (£45m) release clause in Partey’s contract at the club before adding that Arsenal have less than two weeks to pull off the signing.

The transfer guru also pointed out that Atletico Madrid no longer have pressing financial needs after they sanctioned the transfer of Spanish striker Alvaro Morata to Juventus in a £49.5m.

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Morata has returned to Juventus on a loan deal for this season at £8.2m with the option to make his transfer permanent for £41.3m at the end of the loan contract next summer.

Arsenal have been trying to sign Thomas Partey since the current transfer window opened in July.

Atletico Madrid are interested in Arsenal player Lucas Torreira and the Gunners proposed a player-plus-cash offer involving the Uruguayan and Thomas Partey but it was swiftly turned down by the La Liga team.

The Gunners must pay the release clause of the 27-year-old Ghanaian international in full to sign him.

According to reports from Football London, Arsenal sporting director Edu has picked out £27m AS Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara as the alternative for the Gunners if they are unable to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, and his Lyon counterpart Houssem Aouar.

The 23-year-old Guinean is a defensive midfielder and he’s seen as the transfer alternative for both Partey and Aouar.

Gunners’ boss Arteta has made both Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar his midfield targets in the current transfer window, but the club will need a lot of money to pull off just one of the two transfers.

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Atletico Madrid are adamant that Arsenal will have to pay the £45m release clause in Partey’s contract at the club.

The Spaniards are interested in signing an Arsenal player, Lucas Torreira, but they are only ready to offer a loan deal for the diminutive Uruguayan international.

Lyon skipper Aouar is a more attack-minded midfielder than Partey and he’s more expensive at £53m.

He was at the heart of Lyon’s midfield last season as they reached the Champions League semi-finals. Aouar scored nine goals plus 10 assists in 41 games last season for the French club.

Arsenal offered midfielder Matteo Guendouzi earlier in this window but the option of a swap deal was thrown out by Lyon.

Merseyside giants Everton have shifted their attention to £22.5m Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo after the move to sign Fikayo Tomori from Chelsea stalled.

The Toffees were thought to be closing in on a loan deal for Chelsea centre back Tomori earlier this month but that transfer has stalled in the past days paving the way for the club to pursue other defensive targets.

Fikayo Tomori is now expected to stay at Chelsea to fight for his place in the team. The Nigerian-born England international came on as a second half substitute over the weekend as his team suffered their first league defeat of the season.

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Tomori and Chelsea were beaten 2-0 at home by Liverpool who had a man advantage for the larger part of the game after Danish international Fikayo Tomori was sent off towards the end of the first half.

Kai Havertz was sacrificed as Fikayo Tomori replaced the new signing to fill the centre back vacuum left by Andreas Christensen.

Everton are desperate to sign a new central defender in this transfer window and 20-year-old Todibo is the new target though the Merseysiders will have to contend with Wolves who are also interested in the young French player.

Manchester United are closing in on the deal to sign the alternative to top target Jadon Sancho according to the Daily Express.

Watford winger Ismaila Sarr is the right wing alternative to Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho for Manchester United and the aforementioned report said that the Red Devils are on the verge of securing his transfer on loan for the whole of this season.

Manchester United have tried to sign Englishman Jadon Sancho since this summer’s transfer window started, and they have been unsuccessful so far.

Dortmund gave the Red Devils until August 8 to meet his £108m asking price, and they were unable to meet up with that condition mainly due to the finance involved.

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Jadon Sancho is now expected to stay at Borussia Dortmund for the current season thus prompting Manchester United to consider an alternative in Senegalese international Sarr.

The Red Devils want to sign a right wing specialist in this transfer window.

It was disclosed that Watford are open to a loan deal for Ismaila Sarr as Manchester United are the only team interested in him after Liverpool opted to sign Diogo Jota.

Premier League champions Liverpool were forced to turn to Jota after Watford slammed a £50m price tag on the African star.

Ismaila Sarr is now on course to sign for Manchester United on loan with the option of a permanent transfer.

Chelsea are set to receive a big transfer boost after reports claimed that French champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG) have initiated talks in order to sign midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko in a deal that could be around £41m.

As per the reports from French publication Le 10 Sport, the Champions League finalists are eyeing a move for the Frenchman.

Tiemoue Bakayoko has spent the last two seasons away from parent club Chelsea, and he’s not in manager Frank Lampard’s plans for this season.

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He spent the penultimate season on loan at Italian Serie A outfit AC Milan before being farmed out on loan to French club AS Monaco last term.

French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG) want to sign a new central midfielder this summer, and Tiemoue Bakayoko is the man they have turned to.

PSG tried to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Italian team Lazio earlier this summer before they were prized out of a move for the Serbian international and that has prompted the club to turn to the aforementioned Bakayoko.

The new transfer development is a big boost to Chelsea who could use the funds from the transfer for top midfield target Declan Rice of West Ham United.

Chelsea will need £73m to sign former player Rice from the Hammers and Bakayoko’s potential transfer to PSG could provide part of the money.