The Gunners boss refused to shed any light on comings or goings, but thinks it will be a frantic end to the player movement period
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expects a busy finish to the transfer window, but had no update regarding the club’s pursuit of Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Lyon star Aouar ahead of the transfer window closing on October 5, with the Ligue 1 club’s president Jean-Michel Aulas deriding their recent offer for the French international as timid .
Aulas has also set a deadline of Friday for any player transfers away from Lyon , with that stipulation applying to Aouar and Barcelona’s chase for Memphis Depay.
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Asked about Aouar after a 3-1 Premier League loss to Liverpool on Monday, Arteta had no update, but he predicted a frantic finish to the transfer period.
“We don’t have any news on new players and either with players that might leave the football club,” Arteta told a news conference.
“It’s a week to go, I think it’s going to be really busy for other clubs because not much business has been done.
“Let’s see what happens.”
Arteta added: “I think it will be busy for the Premier League. Busy for us, I don’t know how it is going to happen.”
The Gunners have been linked with Aouar and Atletico midfielder Thomas Partey throughout the transfer window but don’t appear close to capturing either.
Aulas was dismissive of Arsenal’s latest offer for 22-year-old Aouar, and suggested Lyon would not part ways with the talent for less than €40 million (£36m/$47m).
When asked on Canal+ whether Arsenal had made a bid for Aouar, Aulas replied: “There was a timid offer. We felt like they didn’t consider the fact that this is a player in the French national team. So, it was an offer that did not even make us consider making a sale.”
The interviewer followed up, asking how much Aulas wanted for Aouar – perhaps €40m or €50m.
“It is certainly more than the first number that you mentioned,” he said.
After starting the Premier League season with wins against Fulham and West Ham, Arsenal’s loss to Liverpool was their first of the league campaign and they sit fifth in the table.
