Lyon boss Aulas sets Friday transfer deadline as Arsenal chase Aouar and Barca pursue Depay

BetOdds Transfers Olympique Lyonnais Celta de Vigo v Barcelona Barcelona Houssem Aouar Memphis Depay Primera División Arsenal Liverpool v Arsenal League Cup Olympique Lyonnais v Olympique Marseille Ligue 1

The transfer window may not close until next Monday, but the president says the French side will look to handle all departures by this weekend

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says the club is treating Friday like the final day of the transfer window amid links between star midfielder Houssem Aouar and Arsenal.

Aouar has been linked with a big-money move all summer, having emerged as a star for the Ligue 1 side.

The 22-year-old midfielder scored nine goals in 41 games last season, earning a place in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season.

Aulas has claimed that Arsenal are reluctant to meet the club's valuation of Aouar, although he did admit that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta remains a big fan of the midfielder.

The Gunners made a reported opening offer of €35 million (£32m/$41m), with Lyon hoping to get €60m (£55m/$70m) for the Frenchman.

Aulas is not the only Lyon star linked with a departure, as Memphis Depay has been widely liked with a move to Barcelona.

Such a move would see the attacker reunite with former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, who took charge of the Spanish side this summer.

And Arsenal and Barcelona will only have until Friday to meet that valuation as Aulas hopes to see all of Lyon's comings and goings resolved by the weekend.

"We will tell the players that whatever will not be settled in terms of departures before Friday, there will be no more departures," Aulas told Telefoot.

"So for us the [closing] date of the transfer window will be Friday. I think I will propose it tomorrow (Tuesday) to Rudi Garcia and Juninho, because it's understandable.

"And all people of goodwill can see that there is something wrong [with the results of the team]. It can be because of that, but it can also be a lot of other things. In any case, from Friday, the players who have not left will not leave."

Having qualified for the Champions League semi-finals, Lyon have struggled to start the Ligue 1 season, earning six points from their first five games.

On Sunday, Lyon will face a difficult match against Marseille, who themselves have struggled a little in collecting eight points so far this season.

Rennes currently sit atop Ligue 1, having dropped just two points through their first five games of the campaign.

2020-09-28 23:00:02

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