According to L’Equipe, as cited by Get French Football News(GFFN), Real Madrid were interested in Amine Gouiri in the January transfer window. It is believed that even Olympique Lyon were keen on sending him out on loan but ultimately decided to retain the player. Meanwhile, Real Madrid didn’t follow up on their interest and were reluctant on making a move.
But, should they pursue the youngster in the summer?
Who is Amine Gouiri?
A product of the Lyon youth academy, Gouiri has been a part of the first-team since 2017. He is a centre-forward by trade, who hasn’t yet quite been able to make a mark in the Lyon side, making only 14 competitive appearances for the club, only seven of which came in Ligue 1.
Gouiri is advertised as a technical number nine, who, thanks to his short 1.80m frame, is very quick on his feet and can easily nestle through tight spaces. As you would expect from any technical attacker, the 19-year-old is blessed with excellent close control that helps him keep hold of the ball in tight areas.
Another key feature of Gouiri’s game is his positional awareness and the fact that he is always on the lookout for teammates in the final third. That means he can not only score goals but can also create scoring opportunities for his teammates – making him a unique component in the attacking department.
Is Gouiri a viable target for Lyon?
Gouri could be a risky target for Real Madrid given the fact that he is yet to make a mark at the highest level of football. Indeed, the presence of Moussa Dembele at Lyon has restricted the 19-year-old from enjoying a more prominent role in the first-team.
And this raises question marks as to whether or not he will be able to live up to the lofty expectations that are usually associated with any Real Madrid signing.
Moreover, with Karim Benzema nearing the final phase of his career, it would perhaps be wiser for Los Blancos to set their sights on a more proven individual. Lautaro Martinez, for one, could be an ideal target as the Argentine has a considerable amount of experience at the highest level of football and has also performed quite well at Inter Milan this season.
