English Premier League giant, Arsenal have been dealt a big transfer blow in their pursuit of Lyon player Houssem Aouar after he decided to stay with the French club for this season.
According to the report via RMC Sport, Houssem Aouar met with Lyon bosses earlier on Saturday before making the decision.
The 22-year-old has been linked with the Gunners for the large part of this transfer window and it looks like the club won’t get their number one target.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had made Houssem Aouar his transfer target as he bids to add more creativity to his midfield but that has now been thwarted.
The Gunners were unable to meet the asking price of the player as set by Lyonpresident Jean Michel Aulas and that led to the collapse of any possible transfer.
Lyon wanted a transfer fee of €50m plus add-ons but the Premier League giants were only able to offer €38m plus add-ons.
Arsenal would have made another offer if talks between the two clubs had continued but that offer won’t have been up to the aforementioned asking price.
Arteta and Arsenal will now turn their attention to other midfield targets in the last hours of the transfer window.