Reports: Juventus vying for £54m-rated French midfielder Houssem Aouar
Juventus lead a host of clubs in the running for Olympique Lyon's midfield architect Houssem Aouar, as per reports in England. The Italian champions are set to compete with other interested teams, including the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.
Aouar has long been linked with a move away given his commendable displays from the heart of Lyon's midfield. He also has a few notable UEFA Champions League performances to boast of, including a Man of the Match performance in the first leg of Lyon's Round of 16 tie against Juventus.
Should a summer move materialise, Aouar could potentially be playing his last European game for Lyon on Friday night.
Juventus hope to secure Lyon star Aouar's signature
Reports in England suggest that Juventus will try to lure the dynamic French midfielder, and will wait until Lyon's European run comes to an end. The report adds that Lyon will demand a figure of £54m for their star player, a fee that could potentially be deemed too high amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is said to be an admirer of the 22-year-old, with L'Equipe reporting that the Catalan 'adores' Aouar. He has even been linked with a move to the Etihad in the past.
However, there is a belief that with City's recent purchase of Ferran Torres from Valencia, a move for Aouar might not be feasible for the former champions.
Juventus, meanwhile, have reportedly decided to offload Aaron Ramsey after just one year of signing him. Given his astronomical wages as well as inconsistent performances in Turin, Juventus have tried to offer him to other clubs as part of swap deals.
Aouar is of great interest to Juventus, who could potentially have a free run at the creative midfielder after Lyon's UCL campaign comes to an end. In retrospect, there are also reports that claim Lyon are interested in Juve midfielder Blaise Matuidi, which could mean that a swap is on the cards.
The Bianconeri's midfield is already set for an upgrade with the impending arrival of Arthur Melo at the club. The Brazilian is set to move to Turin for a fee of €72m, with Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic going the other way for €60m.
They have also been in talks for head coach Maurizio Sarri's favoured 'regista' Jorginho. The Italian took the former Napoli midfielder with him to Stamford Bridge in 2018 but departed just after a year at the helm of the London club.
Jorginho is reportedly on the brink of an exit from Chelsea after falling out of favour under Frank Lampard. It remains to be seen how many targets Juventus can recruit, and with a number of players set to depart from Turin, the Italian champions could be in for a busy summer.
Also read: 5 Key Battles to watch out for as Juventus host Olympique Lyon | UEFA Champions League 2019-20