Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar during the warm up before the match
Manchester United could look at a free transfer for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar this summer, according to The MEN’s Daniel Murphy.
The Lowdown: Aouar interest
The Red Devils were on the hunt for a new midfielder late in the January window after an injury to Christian Eriksen. As we know, Erik ten Hag brought in Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich, but it could well have been Aouar.
Reports suggested that United ‘asked for information’ and were even ready to pay the entirety of his wages on deadline day, however, he remained on the books of Lyon.
Aouar’s contract situation has remained the same following the winter window, and with the midfielder set to become a free agent in the summer as things stand, speculation over a potential move to Old Trafford has already begun.
The Latest: Free transfer claim
Murphy, football writer for The Manchester Evening News, shared a story on Friday morning looking at 10 potential free agents the Red Devils could look to target.
He said that ‘Ten Hag wants to bring more technical quality to his midfield’, name-checking Aouar as a possible option.
‘Houssem Aouar perhaps hasn’t reached the full potential expected of him since bursting onto the scene at Lyon but he’s still just 24 and has buckets of talent a coach like Ten Hag could develop. Aouar is capable of playing anywhere in midfield and has plenty of big match experience having inspired his side to knock Manchester City out of the Champions League and earn rave reviews from Pep Guardiola.’
The Verdict: Smart move?
Guardiola did once wax lyrical over Aouar as Murphy states, saying this following a Champions League last 16 encounter back in 2018.
‘Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible.
‘We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality.’
Aouar is still just 24 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also turn out in an attacking midfield role or on the left. The Frenchman has plenty of experience at the highest level, turning out on 227 occasions for his current employers, contributing to 77 goals.
Therefore, should Sabitzer return to Germany at the end of the season and Scott McTominay depart as has been speculated, Aouar could prove to be a solid addition to Ten Hag’s midfield options in a cut-price transfer, joining the likes of Casemiro, Fred, Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes.
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