Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar during the warm up before the match
Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for Lyon central midfielder Houssem Aouar in the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Out of contract
Aouar is a player who is out of contract in the summer, meaning that he can leave Lyon as a free agent, or join another club for a cut-price in January.
He can also sign a pre-contract agreement with a non-French club in the winter window, and given that he did not make the France squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 24-year-old may be keen on moving on in order to put pressure on future squads for major tournaments.
The Latest: Newcastle interest
As per La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), AC Milan ‘really like’ the player but he has ‘no shortage of offers’ from England – where Newcastle are named as an interested party.
The North East club are looking to sign him in January for a cut-price, but could also look to a pre-contract agreement if a winter move proves too difficult.
The Verdict: Get it done
Aouar may have fallen off a little bit from the player that shone in the UEFA Champions League a few years ago, where Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola dubbed him ‘incredible‘ after a 2-2 draw against his side.
In April 2020, Aouar was also labelled an ‘absolutely incredible talent’ by football presenter and pundit Jack Collins, who claimed that he ‘oozes class’.
Over seven seasons at Lyon, he has scored an impressive 41 goals and made a further 35 assists from the middle of the park (Transfermarkt), and formed a formidable partnership with now Magpies star Bruno Guimaraes, of whom he understood ‘very well‘ on the pitch.
If Aouar can re-find his form from a couple of years ago, he could be a shrew signing for Eddie Howe’s side, especially if he can rebuild his relationship with Bruno in midfield.
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