According to a recent report by the Metro, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed that the French club has no intention of parting ways with their star midfielder Houssem Aouar ahead of the January transfer window amidst recent speculation linking him with a switch to Arsenal. The Metro has also stated that the French youngster penned a new five-year deal with Lyon recently, so the Ligue 1 giants are under no pressure to sell their prized asset.
When asked about the recent rumours surrounding Aouar’s future, Aulas said, ‘A departure for Houssem Aouar? The door is totally closed for our most successful hope.
‘He has come from the academy and I think he is the future of Lyon.
‘There will be very few departures this winter. We are not planning to let the world go this summer, we want to keep our players.
‘The potential buyers will have to be convincing, they will have to have the right arguments and I do not see many of them at the moment.’
The Lyon president’s recent words will be a big blow for the Gunners as they will now have to look elsewhere in search of a long-term replacement for Aaron Ramsey.
The Rise Of Houssem Aouar
The 20-year-old has already put in some match-winning displays at the Groupama Stadium during this campaign. He has made 21 appearances for Lyon this term, scoring five goals while creating four assists in all competitions. The Lyon born prospect is also an integral member of the French Under-21 side and has scored two goals in 7 matches for them.
Will Missing Out On The French Ace Be A Huge Blow For The Gunners?
Unai Emery will now have to shift his focus onto another transfer target and give up on Aouar for the time being. The Frenchman is playing for his boyhood club and is currently on a long-term contract so it won’t be easy to convince the player or his club to do business. Hence, the Gunners are better off going for someone more experienced in midfield as they already have a promising youngster in their ranks in Matteo Guendouzi.
However, missing out on Aouar will be a big blow for the North London giants in the long-run as the Lyon ace has the potential to become a world-class midfielder in the coming years. Onwards to the next target for Emery then!