Although their year came to a bitterly disappointing conclusion, overall, Arsenal have been seen to be moving in a positive direction on and off the pitch throughout the 2021/22 season. Their 5th place finish was the highest since Mikel Arteta’s appointment in 2019.
However, for many Arsenal fans, much of the good-work through the most recent campaign will be overshadowed by the failure of not qualifying for the Champions League for the 6th consecutive season. A competition Arsène Wenger qualified for 19 times in a row.
Arteta has already seemingly identified the midfield as an area to improve on, with The Sun reporting that for the third summer in a row, Arsenal are interested in signing Houssem Aouar. A player who possesses great awareness and a dribbling ability which would complement a defensive midfielder such as Granit Xhaka or Thomas Partey.
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The 23 year-old is reported to be available for just £12.6M, with Lyon keen to offload the classy midfielder, due to negotiations over a new contract hitting a standstill. The Frenchman supposedly has high wage demands, a detail that shouldn’t deter richer Premier League clubs such as Arsenal.
The Gunners will be facing stiff competition in the battle for Aouar’s signature, with Liverpool, Real Betis and Real Sociedad all currently keeping tags on the central-midfielder also.
Arsenal’s failure in qualifying for Europe’s top competition may come back to bite them in the back here, with the attraction of the Champions League possibly playing a crucial factor in where Aouar ends up, with the player aiming to be selected as part of Deschamps’ World Cup squad in November.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Arsenal, Champions League, Mikel Arteta, Houssem Aouar