According to a recent report by The Sun, Liverpool find themselves in a three-way transfer race with Manchester City and Arsenal to acquire the services of Houssem Aouar from Olympique Lyonnais. The same source has also claimed that all three Premier League clubs have monitored the Frenchman’s development along with Real Madrid and Juventus as well. It is believed that Jurgen Klopp is ready to step up his efforts to land the Ligue 1 playmaker when the transfer window reopens later this summer (via The Sun).
Aouar’s Magnificent Rise In French Football
The Lyon-born talent has enjoyed the best campaign of his young career and has put in several impressive performances at the heart of Rudi Garcia’s midfield. He has registered nine goals and seven assists in 37 appearances for the French outfit this term on all fronts which highlight how influential he has been at the Groupama Stadium in this campaign.
The 21-year-old has averaged 1.1 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 1.8 shots, 1.0 key passes and 2.6 dribbles in every 90 minutes of league football this season (stats via whoscored). Aouar’s numbers showcase his growing influence at both ends of the pitch. He has played for France at various youth levels but is yet to make his debut for Les Bleus’ senior team. However, his ceiling is sky-high, so we can expect him to earn his first senior cap for Didier Deschamps’s side sooner rather than later.
What Will The French Midfield Ace Bring To Anfield?
Aouar is usually quite tidy with his ball-distribution from midfield after he completed 85.7% of his attempted passes in the Ligue 1 this season (stats via whoscored). He has decent pace in his locker and is versatile enough to play in multiple positions at the centre of the park. The French U-21 international primarily functions as a box to box midfielder but can also fill in as a wide player down the left flank or play in a more advanced role as an attacking midfielder if required.
Aouar can use his quickness and dribbling ability to make some darting runs with the ball in the opposition half and has transformed himself into a potent goal-threat from midfield. He is also not shy about playing a defence-splitting pass in the final third which explains how he has secured seven assists for Lyon this season.
There is no doubt that signing a player of Aouar’s skill set and potential will be an excellent move for Liverpool in this off-season. He will not only add more goals and creativity to Klopp’s midfield but also enhance the overall depth of the Reds squad. With Adam Lallana set to leave the Merseyside club at the end of this campaign, the French whizkid could be a perfect replacement for the injury-prone Englishman.
Is Aouar The Right Fit For Klopp?
Furthermore, Aouar will also provide some healthy competition for the likes of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner for one of the midfield spots in Klopp’s first XI. The German tactician has generally preferred to rely on the 4-3-3 formation, so Aouar is tailor-made to thrive in as a chief playmaker at Anfield next season if Liverpool can find a way to win the race to recruit him this summer. All in all, Aouar will be an excellent fit for the Reds as he will enjoy playing in Klopp’s possession-based style of counter-pressing football.
