Juventus are reportedly still interested in Lyon starlet Houssem Aouar and will look to formulate an offer to prise him away from the French giants.
The 21-year-old enjoyed an impressive season this year, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 37 appearances prior to the Ligue 1 campaign being ended early.
He’ll still hope to make his mark when the Champions League returns as Lyon and Juventus still have a second leg to play in their round-of-16 tie, but speculation over his future refuses to go away and is in fact linking him to a move to Turin.
According to Calciomercato, while his valuation may drop to below €50m following the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s suggested that Juventus may have to get create with their offer to secure an agreement with Lyon as they might not be able to afford a hefty fee while a player exchange is also ruled out.
One option that is specifically touted in the report is a two-year loan deal with an option to buy, and so it remains to be seen if that suits all parties concerned as Lyon will surely want to see a more immediate financial boost if they are to lose one of their top talents.
As for Aouar, he is arguably ready for the next step in his career but it remains to be seen if feels as though the reigning Serie A champions are the ideal next destination for him, while the Juventus midfield is already crowded with coach Maurizio Sarri able to call upon Miralem Pjanic, Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, Sami Khedira, Blaise Matuidi and Rodrigo Bentancur as things stand.
In turn, perhaps there will need to be exits first before Aouar can be added, but with his valuation said to be dropping, it remains to be seen if Juve can put together a package to convince Lyon to approve of an exit ahead of next season.
—
“Playing without fans is sadder than dancing with your sister” – Which manager said this? Click here to read more.
—