Why Man United must make a move for Houssem Aouar in the summer

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United are keeping tabs on Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.

Houssem Aouar, 21, who has been capped on 14 occasions by France’s Under-21 side, has scored eight times and registered six assists in 32 appearances for Lyon this term. He has started 21 of the 22 Ligue 1 games for Lyon, racking up two goals and three assists.

The 21-year-old midfielder’s performances in France have caught the attention of Manchester United, who are currently seventh in the Premier League table with 12 games left.

Despite spending over £200m under Solskjaer, United will spend in the summer with midfield an area that needs reinforcing. (h/t Daily Mail)

Fred and Nemanja Matic may have built a strong partnership in the middle of the park following Scott McTominay’s injury during the festive period, but Paul Pogba has spent the majority of the campaign on the sidelines with an ankle problem, playing only seven Premier League games.

The Frenchman has entered the final 18 months of his deal and could leave Old Trafford in the summer. (h/t Daily Mail) Fernandes could fill Pogba’s void if he leaves but Solskjaer has little strength in his squad depth.

That’s why signing a central midfielder is very essential in the summer and Solskjaer should make a move for Houssem Aouar.

An academy graduate of Lyon, Aouar broke into the first-team at the age of 19 and has been a regular since then. In the 2017/18 campaign, manager Bruno Genesio extracted the best out of the French midfielder, who ended up bagging 7 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions. The 21-year-old scored 7 goals in 37 appearances last season.

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Aouar is a versatile player who can play in different positions across the midfield. The French midfielder has netted 22 goals in 126 games for Lyon till now, which is an outstanding return at this stage of his career. This makes it hard to believe that he’s only 21 years old and he still has real potential to be tapped into.

Verdict

Aouar has a bright future ahead of him and can unlock his true potential under Solskjaer, who has trusted young talents and academy products while rebuilding the club. Thus, United shouldn’t think twice about making the move for the talented midfielder in the summer.