Liverpool journalist Matt Addison has been discussing the latest transfer news surrounding Olympique Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.
This comes after Addison made an appearance on the latest episode of the Liverpool Echo’s Blood Red Podcast where he talked through all the latest news stories related to the Merseyside club.
After it was recently revealed by journalist Nicolo Schira that Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Aouar, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the past, Addison had this to say on the matter.
He said: “We know Houssem Aouar is a player that Liverpool have monitored and certainly looked at for a number of years, but they just don’t need a midfielder at this stage of the season. They don’t need any more options.
“Houssem Aouar, I think for Liverpool, would have been a perfect number 10 in that 4-2-3-1 system that I think we might see a few times this season, but as much as he does remind me of Philippe Coutinho whenever I see him, Liverpool have just got a fair few options in that area.
“Unfortunately for Liverpool, I think if Arsenal do put the money on the table and Lyon tend to let these players go once a certain figure is reached, they don’t tend to keep those players around if they don’t want to be there. I think there’s a good chance that Houssem Aouar will end up at Arsenal this summer. It’d be good to see him in the Premier League, but personally I’d quite like to see him at Liverpool.”
Aouar, who is currently valued at £44.55 million, made his senior debut for Lyon back in 2017 during the club’s Europa League win against AZ Alkmaar when he was 18 years old.
Since then, the 22-year-old has gone on to make a total of 139 appearances for the French club, in which he has managed to score 24 goals and provide 27 assists along the way (per Transfermarkt).
In Lyon’s 2019/20 Champions League campaign, which saw them get knocked out in the semi-finals after losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich, Aouar was their standout performer, earning himself a rating of 7.55/10 for his performances in the eight appearances he made in the competition (per WhoScored).
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TIF Thoughts…
Given how impressive Aouar was for Lyon in the Champions League last season, it’s no surprise that Liverpool have been linked with a move for him and that Arsenal are reportedly trying to work out a deal for the 22-year-old.
Looking at how many players Liverpool currently have in their squad that can play in midfield positions, maybe a move for Aouar is not totally necessary for the club at this moment in time, despite Addison’s admiration for the player.