Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar in action. (Getty Images)
According to The Scottish Sun, Arsenal are tracking Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.
The 21-year-old has been earning rave reviews with his impressive displays in the middle for the French outfit with a host of Europe’s top clubs interested in landing the central midfielder.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will have a difficult job in landing the Under-21 France international, with rivals Manchester City and Liverpool also hot on trail. A Lyon academy graduate, Aouar’s rise to the top has been meteoric.
Having made his senior team debut back in 2017, Aouar has established himself as one of the first-team regulars in Lyon with his consistent displays. To date, the midfielder has featured 133 times for Lyon and has 24 goals and as many assists to his name. Aouar stood out last season for Lyon, helping them earn Champions League promotion with a third-place finish.
He had a great season last year, scoring 7 goals and 8 assists in the league. The young Frenchman seems to have continued his fine form from the previous season, racking up three goals and as many assists from fewer matches.
This season looks like Aouar’s best in his career so far, with the Lyon midfielder managing 9 goals and 7 assists across all competitions. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are on the lookout for a new midfielder, with Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos expected to make a return to Spain at the end of the season.
With Ceballos’ future remaining an uncertainty, and Arsenal lacking established central midfielders in their ranks, a move for young Aouar seems like a step in the right direction. The Gunners just have Joe Willock in the central midfield role, while the likes of midfielders Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, and Matteo Guendouzi are all defensive-minded in nature.
Willock, on the other hand, is still young and lacks enough experience. That said, Arsenal clearly need someone to anchor their game in the middle and who better than Lyon’s main man Aouar. Except for this season, Aouar has been crucial in helping Lyon reach the top-three.
Given his rapid rise through the ranks into a first-team regular at Lyon, there is no denying that Aouar is a real talent.
Also, being young, Aouar has plenty of time to improve and develop his football under Gunners boss Arteta if at all a move happens. A proven customer, Aouar could thus be a good future investment for Arsenal.
