Arsenal contact Lyon over Houssem Aouar alternative as Mikel Arteta eyes new playmaker

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Arsenal’s search for a new midfield presence goes on, and a team-mate of existing target Houssem Aouar is reportedly the latest to be added to their hit list. Bruno Guimaraes is well known to Gunners transfer chief Edu, and multiple factors point towards a deal in waiting.

Boss Mikel Arteta has been in the market for extra midfielders this summer, with a number of high-profile stars leaving the club.

The Gunners were reportedly ‘pushing hard’ to sign Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo, although that deal appears to have fallen flat amid interest from Juventus.

Despite being more of an attacking option, Houssem Aouar was also linked with the Emirates among a host of other targets, with a £25million price-tag thought to be attracting a number of English suitors.

However, that deal appears no closer to being made, and Arsenal have now put the feelers out regarding his Lyon team-mate, Bruno Guimaraes, according to Goal.

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The Gunners registered an interest in the Brazilian back in 2020, although he instead chose to sign with Lyon.

Arsenal’s Brazilian transfer chief, Edu, is certainly familiar with his compatriot who is currently in Tokyo as part of his national side’s Olympic setup.

Still just 23-years-old, Lyon is Guimaraes’ first venture into European football after beginning his career in his homeland.

That may make him a more attainable target for Arteta and Edu, given he would not come with the reputation of a player like Aouar who has been on the European radar for years.

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Given their eighth-place finish last season, the Gunners must choose their targets wisely given they will not have European football on offer for the first time in 25 years.

Thankfully for the north London side, Lyon are under pressure to sell since they also failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

This has led them to miss out on a significant chunk of revenue, alongside the collapsed French TV deal which wreaked havoc on Ligue 1 clubs’ finances last season.

Despite being highly-rated, Arsenal could reportedly get their hands on Guimaraes for around £30m.

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The Brazilian is a talented two-way midfielder, with the kind of all-round attributes necessary to thrive in the two-man midfield deployed by Arteta for much of last season.

Based on events so far this summer, Guimaraes will be added to a long list of potential targets to bolster the Arsenal midfield.

This time, the club will hope to make some concrete progress, rather than let another one fall by the wayside.

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