Sources: Aston Villa in late-ditch negotiations to sign Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar
Aston Villa are working on a last-gasp deal to sign Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, sources have told Football Insider.
The Midlands outfit are still in the market for a central midfielder and have turned their attention to the France international.
Aston Villa are believed to be negotiating a loan deal for Aouar, 24, but face competition from rival clubs.
Manager Unai Emery has made it clear he wants a dynamic new midfielder for the second half of the campaign.
Villa had tried to lure Matteo Guendouzi this month but Marseille were not willing to let him go.
Aouar has spent his entire career at Lyon after joining the club’s academy setup during his youth.
He spent seven years working his way through the various youth teams before being promoted to the Lyon B team in 2015 and being offered a professional contract in 2016.
The versatile midfielder has grown to become a key player for the French outfit but has suffered an injury-plagued season in 2022/23.
Aouar managed just 30 minutes on the pitch for Lyon’s season-opener against AC Ajaccio, and then missed the following nine games with an injury to his ankle.
He made his comeback to the first team in October but is yet to complete a full 90-minute match for Lyon this season.
Still, the 24-year-old boasts over 170 league appearances for Lyon, scoring 30 goals in the process.
He was named in the Champions League squad of the season for the 2019/20 campaign after helping Lyon make a surprise push to the tournament’s semi-finals.
In other news, Southampton’s deal to sign Braga striker Vitinha has been hijacked by Marseille