Lyon Ready to Offload Houssem Aouar in Cut-Price Deal Amid Premier League Interest

Lyon are understood to be prepared to cash in on 21-year-old midfielder Houssem Aouar this summer, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all thought to be keen on the Frenchman.

Aouar has long been seen as one of the most talented youngsters in Europe, which is why Lyon have always tried to fend off competition from potential suitors.

However, as noted by L'Équipe, things haven't really gone to plan. Lyon's failure to qualify for either the Champions League or the Europa League is expected to take a heavy financial toll on the club, and the only way to balance the books is to sell some of their stars.

Of the current squad, Aouar is named as the most likely departure, with a fee of €50m thought to be enough to convince Lyon to do business.

In terms of potential suitors, anyone who's anyone has been linked with Aouar. Back in April, The Sun reported that City, Liverpool and Arsenal were all tracking the Frenchman, while Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are also thought to be in the race.

The coronavirus outbreak will limit sides' spending this summer, but €50m on one of Europe's top young players still seems like a real bargain, so it would not come as a surprise to see plenty of other sides add Aouar to their targets list.

The French midfielder racked up nine goals and seven assists in all competitions before French football was halted, but he was unable to stop Lyon from slipping down to seventh in the league table.

With Ligue 1 being cancelled and the current table being used as the final standings, Lyon will have no European football for the first time in over 20 years, and it is expected that a number of their top players will head elsewhere in search of a bigger stage.

Striker Moussa Dembélé and winger Memphis Depay are also likely to leave, especially if they try to force an exit to a Champions League side, although Aouar is the only one who Lyon are actively open to selling.

There's plenty of Premier League interest in Dembélé, with both Chelsea and Manchester United tracking the striker, and convincing Lyon to sell may have just got a whole lot easier.

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