As you may have heard, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Arsenal target Houssem Aouar from Lyon.
The France international is available after seeing a move to Nottingham Forest break down, with the Premier League newcomers unwilling to meet the €15m (£13m) asking price, despite agreeing terms over a five-year contract.
It comes after Arsenal found themselves in pole position to sign Aouar.
Now, there has been another interesting development.
What’s the story?
Well, Aouar has now been left out of the squad by Peter Bosz for tonight’s Ligue 1 clash with Troyes.
L’Equipe believe it is not due to an imminent transfer, although it is described as a “sporting choice” by the French news outlet.
Aouar only played 30 minutes of Lyon’s Ligue 1 opener against Ajaccio at the beginning of August, and the French side have a decision to make seeing as their No.8 has already entered the final 12 months of his contract.
As of now, the only bid for the 24-year-old has come from Nottingham Forest, although Steve Cooper is only willing to offer €10m (£8m).
As aforesaid, Lyon are holding out for €15m (£13m) to sell Aouar, which isn’t miles away from Nottingham Forest’s offer, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
However, Crystal Palace and Arsenal may no longer face competition from Nottingham Forest, after they agreed a £45m deal to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Wolves.
Crystal Palace & Arsenal could wait for Houssem Aouar
If the Eagles and the Gunners would prefer to save some money, they can chance their luck and wait until January.
At that point, Aouar will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with sides in Europe, ahead of his contract expiring in July 2023.
Of course, that would be a risky move, as it opens the door for more sides to get involved and make life difficult for Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta.
Keep an eye on this situation, as we expect more developments soon.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
