Why Arsenal should go all out to sign Houssem Aouar this summer
Houssem Aouar has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal alongside Thomas Partey (source – Football.london). Arteta has a plethora of midfielders in his side but no one seems to have the ability to control and boss the midfield like Aouar.
Player Profile
Aouar joined Lyon’s academy at the age of 11 and has spent another 11 years representing the club at various age groups. He rose through the youth ranks of the club to make his debut in 2017 against AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of round-of-32 of the Europa League. A week later, he scored his debut goal for Lyon against the same side in the 2nd leg.
Next season, he was given the iconic number 8 jersey, previously worn by club legend Juninho. Since then, he has been a first-team regular. He has made over 140 appearances so far for Lyon and has scored 24 goals in the process (source – Transfermarkt).
Last month, he received his first call-up for the French National Team but he was later replaced by Fekir after testing positive for coronavirus.
Should Arsenal sign him?
The ongoing summer transfer window has been an exciting but dramatic one for the Gunners. Gabriel Magalhaes has joined Willian at the Emirates. Pablo Mari and Soares have signed permanently and Ceballos has arrived once again for a loan spell.
Aouar is an aesthetic midfielder. Everything that he does on a football pitch is embraced with a degree of technical and physical elegance, which make him unimaginably enjoyable to watch. Some of his best traits are his dribbling skills and holding the ball in tight situations. Anyone who follows the Ligue 1 closely would agree with Aouar’s quality and abilities
Aouar has mostly played as a left-attacking midfielder or as a central midfielder under Rudi Garcia. However, he is best suited to playing as a central midfielder. Initially, he was deployed as a No.10 but his defensive contributions made Lyon’s coaches realize that he’s better as a No.8. He has the ability to break the lines and his passing ability in the final third is his real asset.
Arsenal already have a gifted midfielder at their disposal in Ceballos. With Aouar and Ceballos in central midfield, Arteta would just need an anchorman and the Gunners will have one of the best midfields in the league. Aouar is an elite ball carrier, a role they have been missing since Cazorla’s departure.
Read more
- Why Arsenal should let Sead Kolasinac move abroad next season
- Why Arsenal must go ahead in their pursuit of Houssem Aouar
Verdict
Despite having so many midfielders at their disposal, Arsenal seem keen on improving their midfield further. Aouar is a perfect midfield option for Arteta and can provide a fantastic option because that’s what top players do: Provide options!
