Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has reportedly agreed to join Arsenal.
According to Telefoot, the highly-regarded Frenchman wants to join the Gunners despite interest from Barcelona and Juventus, with neither of those clubs having made a concrete bid.
Arsenal have held further talks with Lyon over a deal for Aouar.
An offer is understood to have been put forward on Thursday with negotiations ongoing.
Arsenal still have to strike a deal with Lyon, who are reportedly demanding £54million for Aouar.
If Arsenal are able to bring in the 22-year-old it would provide Mikel Arteta’s side with some much-needed creativity.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is typically tough to negotiate with, so it is unlikely that Arsenal will face a straightforward task as they look to sign Aouar before the transfer window closes on October 5.
Aulas suggested that at present Arsenal don’t have the required funds to secure a deal for Aouar.
‘Financially, Arsenal are like everyone else (in a tricky spot),’ Aulas was quoted as saying in the French publication, Le Progres. ‘And Houssem could say to himself that the best thing would be to stay with us.’
Aulas is determined to keep Aouar along with Moussa Dembele and Memphis Depay, who have also been linked with moves away.
Aulas said: ‘From the start I said that we would not lose the three players announced every day in the newspapers.’
Aouar, a France Under 21 international, has spent his entire career to date at Lyon, making over 130 appearances for the club.
Arsenal have improved immensely under Arteta but they are certainly in need of a player who can create chances with regularity, especially with Mesut Ozil having been frozen out.
In addition to Aouar, Arsenal have been looking to bring in a more defensive-minded midfielder in Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey.
So far in this transfer window Arsenal have secured deals for Willian, Gabriel and Alex Runarsson.
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