Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar in action. (Getty Images)
As per a report from French publication L’Equipe (h/t TEAMtalk), Premier League heavyweights Arsenal are eyeing Olympique Lyon’s promising starlet Houssem Aouar as a direct replacement for wantaway midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
The Welshman is in the final year of his contract with the North London outfit and after negotiations over a new deal broke down, he is set for an exit from the Emirates Stadium either in January or on a free transfer at the end of the campaign. And the Gunners’ manager Unai Emery has identified Aouar as the potential candidate to fill in the former Cardiff City man’s shoes moving forward. (h/t TEAMtalk)
The 20-year-old Aouar has been on Lyon’s books since 2009, having begun his footballing journey with Athletic Club De Villeurbanne. Having risen through the ranks rapidly, the midfielder made his first-team debut for the French outfit in February last year during a 4-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League. Exactly two months later, he made his Ligue 1 bow as well.
The 2017/18 campaign saw Aouar establish himself as a regular member of Bruno Genesio’s side and the midfielder ended the season with an impressive tally of 7 goals and 6 assists from 44 appearances. The 20-year-old has stepped it up a notch in the ongoing season and has already accumulated 5 goals and 4 assists in 21 matches across all competitions.
His displays against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League were particularly outstanding, giving an indication of the quality that the Frenchman possesses.
A versatile operator, Aouar is primarily a central midfielder but can easily slot in on the left flank as well. A gifted dribbler of the ball, the France U21 international possesses the ability to glide past players and burst into the box regularly, while he also has the composure and the eye for a pass that enables to dictate the pace of the game from the middle of the park. Technically gifted, the 20-year-old clearly possesses an immense talent and is meant for bigger things.
In his 16 Ligue 1 matches this term, Aouar has averaged 48 passes per game at a highly impressive accuracy of 87%. In comparison, Ramsey, in his 15 Premier League appearances, has tallied 24.6 passes every 90 minutes at an accuracy of 80.5%. The youngster has completed more dribbles per game (1.6) and shots per game (2.3) in comparison to the Arsenal man (0.5 and 0.9), while both have played 1.1 key passes each per game.
These numbers give an indication into the attacking quality that Aouar brings to the table from the middle of the park. With Ramsey headed for an exit, the Frenchman seems a good fit to take over from the Welshman. At 20, he will only get better from here on and has the potential to establish himself as a midfield mainstay for the Gunners for years to come.
** Stats from WhoScored.com
