‘Transfer is dead’: Sky Sports pundit thinks Arsenal will miss out on 22-year-old

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Alan Smith told Sky Sports PL (04/10/20 at 1:10 pm) that Arsenal need a player like Houssem Aouar but he thinks that potential transfer is ‘dead’.

Only hours remain before Jim White bellows down everyone’s TV screens that the summer transfer window has slammed shut.

Arsenal have concluded some business, but it’s clear that they want that creative spark of Aouar in the middle of the park, but RMC Sport report that Lyon have called off all talks of their 22-year-old playmaker leaving the club.

This is devastating news for Arsenal, as Alan Smith was asked what one deal he would like to see his former club conclude before the deadline.

“They have been linked for a long time with Houssem Aouar from Lyon,” Smith told Sky Sports.

“And it sounds like that transfer is dead, which would be a big shame because he is that type of creative player that Ozil was for a few years. That Santi Cazorla was. A brilliant player. Somebody who can find the early pass. When you have Aubameyang, Willian, Lacazette, whoever, just ahead.

“I think that’s what they are missing, at the moment. They have got some good solid midfield players. But they haven’t got that player with the vision. The creativity that perhaps Auoar would provide.”

Even though Arsenal secured a nervy 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Sunday, their first-half performance proved that a more progressive passer is needed in midfield.

Mesut Ozil has been frozen out by Mikel Arteta and it doesn’t seem as though the German will be donning the colours of Arsenal again – but it felt like that under Unai Emery, and Ozil did end up returning.

It will be interesting to see how the Arsenal fans view this summer transfer window because other than Gabriel, they haven’t really backed their manager in the window.