According to Foot Mercato, Houssem Aouar is now valued at just €15m (£13m) by Lyon, following strong interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.
What’s the story?
Well, Lyon may have lost themselves a lot of money.
Back in 2021, Arsenal and Liverpool wanted to bring Aouar to the Premier League, with the Gunners even submitting a £35m bid.
However, just like he did when Jürgen Klopp also wanted Nabil Fekir, Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas dug his heels in and rejected the offer.
Surprisingly, Aouar is still at Lyon, although it seems as if Aulas is now frantically looking to make some money on the Lyon No.8 this summer.
Aouar’s contract expires in June 2023, so if he isn’t sold this summer, he is likely to depart for nothing next year.
Therefore, Aulas has slapped a £13m price tag on the Lyon No.8’s head, with Real Betis interested in bringing him to La Liga.
£13m is better than nothing, although Aulas will potentially be kicking himself that he didn’t accept the £35m offer from Arsenal.
Arsenal & Liverpool should bid for Houssem Aouar
In our view, Aouar’s new £13m asking price should seriously interest Arsenal and Liverpool.
For Mikel Arteta, he would receive a 23-year-old gem with plenty of room for improvement, and also a necessary addition to what is a fairly weak midfield department, in terms of depth as well as quality.
In Liverpool’s case, Klopp is not in similar need of a midfielder as much, but this is a market opportunity the Reds do not tend to ignore.
Just like when Dominic Solanke was signed for free, barely played, but was then sold for £19m, Liverpool could easily restore Aouar’s value to the £40m mark and then move him on, if they choose to do so.
Whatever happens, keep an eye on Lyon this summer, as we wouldn’t be surprised to see Aouar depart France.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
