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Lyon’s Houssem Aouar have been tipped for a Premier League move for some time, and Arsenal saw an offer rejected this week. Why is the midfielder so in demand?
Aouar’s performances since his breakthrough in Lyon in 2017 have drawn attention on both sides of the English Channel, with his starring role in the French team’s race to the 2019/20 Champions League semi-finals, beating the Juventus and Manchester City on the way, especially impressing.
Since then, both sides have been strongly linked with his signing, but this weekend Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas named Arsenal as the suitor who had put his money where his mouth is for the 22-year-old. , although still not enough for him to do so. convince him to part ways with one of Lyon’s brightest local talents, so far.
“As far as Aouar is concerned, I think Lyon are willing to sell him.” Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol told the Transfer Show on Monday. “Arsenal are in a relatively strong position. The President is a very difficult man to negotiate, and I think it would take at least £ 50 million to get it.
“But people tell me that Lyon need to sell players to raise money, and they have a very good crop of young people in their youth system who think they are ready to play in the first team.”
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Aouar ‘technically a very good player’
There are many reasons the Gunners would do their best to make this creative-minded scoring midfielder one of their own, even though he hasn’t always reached the heights expected at Groupama Stadium.
“Technically he is a very good player, with an excellent vision of the game,” said Gael Berger, a journalist who covers Lyon for the French station. Radio Scoop, saying Sky sports. “He has always been able to create chances and make good decisions with the ball, as well as providing goals and assists.
“He has the level to play in big games. His contribution was decisive in last season’s Champions League run, winning a penalty in the second leg against Juventus and playing excellently against Manchester City. The league English is faster than French, so it may take some time to adjust, but I’m not worried about it being successful. “
With the Premier League known for its intensity, Aouar has already spent time developing the physical side of his game, recovering the ball in the middle third of the field almost four times every 90 minutes in Ligue 1 last season.
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“He is very confident in his talent,” said Jean-Francois Gómez, who covers Lyon for the regional newspaper. Progress, said Sky sports. “But he understood that it was necessary to gain a little more power first, to manage more in physical championships like in England.
“He continues the continuity of the players who have preceded him from Lyon: Karim Benzema, Anthony Martial, Alexandre Lacazette, Samuel Umtiti. For him, this is the next step.”
Change of formation in the Emirates?
A deceptive burst of rhythm represents the most effective asset of midfielder Julien Huet, a television commentator for BFM Lyon, saying Sky sports, With his ability to turn defense into attack and move the ball with quality, it has probably increased Mikel Arteta’s interest in adding another dimension as he looks to add to an Arsenal midfield that sometimes lacks a certain spark.
“He’s an excellent passer, a good dribbler and has the special quality of his quick acceleration down the left channel,” Huet said.
“We have seen in important games, against Marseille, Juventus, Manchester City, that he has been excellent, but average or mediocre in others. It has been said for a long time that he needs a great game to shine, although I think he can prosper. in a team that dominates the game and has a lot of ball. “
That ball power may have been on the Arsenal manager’s mind as he admitted this week that he has had to adjust from ‘Arsenal style’ with the players at his disposal since taking office last December.
In the entirety of Ligue 1 last season, only seven players completed more passes in the final third than Aouar, who was often given freedom of movement down the left of a three-man midfield, with his ability to beat her man, running the room. the highest number of clashes in the entire division, providing a real advantage for Lyon’s attacking intentions.
The Gunners have gone 3-4-3 in their first three games this season, and with Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny in the middle for Monday night’s 3-1 loss at Liverpool, they found life difficult without the ability to build in midfield. .
If Aouar, Thomas Partey, or both join together, there may be a shape change on the cards. Although Aouar has been used on the left of a 4-2-3-1 and on the hole, it is like number eight – in the mold of Luka Modric or Xavi – where he has flourished the most in his short career to date. and where he could find himself as part of a new three-man midfield.
Room for improvement
Despite his prominence, undoubted ability and popularity among the fans of the club where he has remained since he turned 11 years old, Aouar has not been immune to criticism for what has been seen as a level of inconsistency, especially far from the lights and the glamor of the Champions Nights in which it has regularly shone.
Gomez said: “He is well regarded by the fans and everyone recognizes that he has a lot of talent. But he is also criticized at times for not being prominent enough in games, especially when the team is not doing much on its own.”
Within a few months of his breakthrough in Lyon’s midfield in 2017, the French newspaper The world He called him the club’s ‘great hope’, but almost three years later, there is a feeling that his potential has yet to be fully developed, although at the age of 22, time is still firmly on the midfielder’s side.
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“I think he will leave Lyon without having reached the expected level,” added Huet. “He has not yet become the lynchpin of Lyon, in the sense that he has lacked consistency. He still has to evolve to be more decisive, reach a good level more regularly and develop his game.”
“He has remarkable vision, he’s capable of scoring and assisting. But he has to become more decisive, more consistent and develop the way of playing even more.”
With time running out for Arsenal to seal a deal with one of Europe’s highest-rated young prospects before the transfer window closes next Monday, there is little question whether Aouar would represent a good investment for Arsenal. “If they could get it for 40 million euros, it would be a gift,” Huet told Sky Sports.
Instead, the main conundrum among Lyon fans will be whether their golden boy will reach the heights expected of him, whether at home or at the Emirates.
But if he becomes the latest recruit for Arteta’s North London project, the manager’s fledgling but impressive track record already suggests that he may be the man to bring out the best in him.
Summer Transfer Period: Key Dates and Times
The summer transfer window closes at 11 p.m. on Monday, October 5 with an activity party lined up at Transfer deadline in Sky Sports News Y on our Sky Sports platforms.
A national-only window for deals between the Premier League and the EFL runs from October 5 and closes on Friday, October 16 at 5 p.m. Follow all news and analysis on SSN and to the other side Sky sports‘digital platforms, even with our dedicated Transfer center Blog.
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