Real Madrid reportedly have no intention of meeting Lyon’s €50 million valuation of Houssem Aouar, who is also a target for Juventus.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Real Madrid and Juventus are set to face a long drawn out procedure to secure the services of Houssem Aouar in the summer transfer window. The two European heavyweights will not pay the asking price of €50 million for the 22-year-old, which throws this transfer saga wide open.
Aouar has been with Lyon since 2009, having joined their youth setup aged 11 before making swift progress at various age levels and subsequently making grade in the first-team squad in 2017. Since then, the Frenchman has come leaps and bounds, becoming a mainstay in midfield for Les Gones, while also having broken into the French national side.
Till date, Aouar has amassed 167 appearances for Lyon, also chipping in with 30 goals and 31 assists. His meteoric development has alerted a number of big name clubs over the past year or so and heading into this summer’s transfer window, Real Madrid are among the clubs that are keen on signing him.
The interest from Real Madrid makes a great deal of sense, considering Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are both well into their thirties. Modric, in particular, is in the final phase of his career while those out on loan – Dani Ceballos, Brahim Diaz and Martin Odegaard – do not exactly have a secure future at the club.
So, it is imperative that Los Blancos lay down a succession plan for the veteran Croat and bolster their midfield this coming summer. To that end, Real Madrid have been linked with Nabil Fekir, Dani Olmo and Nicolo Barella, among others, with Aouar a viable target for them as well.
In addition to the Merengues, Juventus are also interested in signing Aouar, as they prepare to overhaul their squad, which could see the likes of Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey and even Rodrigo Bentancur, who has coincidentally been linked with Real Madrid, being offloaded.
However, neither Real Madrid nor Juventus are prepared to meet Lyon’s €50 million valuation of the 22-year-old, which could, in turn, drag out negotiations this coming summer. Therefore, an intriguing summer beckons Aouar and his suitors, as they prepare to swoop him away from Lyon.
