Lyon chief Juninho has admitted that the club will assess the prospect of selling the Manchester City-linked young starlet Houssem Aouar, reports in Englan confirm
Aouar has been an ever-present figure for Lyon ever since making the first-team breakthrough in 2017, moving on to capture over 130 appearances in all competitions for Les Gones.
A technically-gifted midfielder as he is, the 21-year-old Frenchman has showcased composure and creative presence that are off the scale for a player of his age.
Indeed, Aouar was a driving force of Lyon during the 2019/20 campaign, racking up nine goals and seven assists across all competitions before the coronavirus pandemic halted proceedings in France.
Unfortunately, the Groupama Stadium outfit will miss out on the Champions League qualification after Ligue 1 was scrapped and are likely to offload some of their first-team stars to cover the losses.
One of those players is Aouar, who has found himself in Pep Guardiola’s crosshairs ever since Lyon played out a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League last season.
Lyon Sporting Director Juninho on Houssem Aouar's future: "We know the majority of youth academy talents here, who have Houssem's talent, have left at 1 moment or another. It is the president who will decide. If we receive offers, we will analyse them." pic.twitter.com/dltBGf4Urh
— Yabscore (@yabscore) June 11, 2020
Guardiola then heaped praise on the highly-creative playmaker, putting his name in front of Tanguy Ndombele, who was then considered the brightest Lyon prospect.
After enduring an underwhelming season in the Premier League, the Spanish manager is eager to reshape his squad in the summer transfer market to challenge Liverpool for the title next year.
Now, his desire to bring in Aouar has been handed a boost, as Lyon sporting director Juninho has confirmed that the club will listen to offers for the in-demand prodigy.
“Houssem was formed here – he has been here for a long time,” the Brazilian said, as transmitted by the Manchester Evening News.
“He brings us the technical touch required in midfield. But we know that the majority of youth academy talents here, who have Houssem’s talent, have left at one moment or another. It is the president who will decide. If we receive offers, we will analyze them. He is an important player.”
