An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans to improve their squad before the deadline for the January transfer window passes...

What's the talk?

Football Insider journalist Pete O'Rourke has revealed that the Villans are attempting to complete a "last-gasp" swoop to sign French talent Houssem Aouar from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

The accompanying article claims that the club are keen on adding a central midfielder to their squad before the end of play today to bolster Unai Emery's side.

It is stated that they are trying to sign Aouar on loan until the end of the season and that they need to fight off interest from a number of other clubs to land his signature.

Morgan Sanson successor

One French midfielder leaves and another arrives? Villa sanctioned an exit for Morgan Sanson earlier this month as the 28-year-old dynamo joined Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on loan.

The former Marseille man struggled to push on and really compete for a place in the side at Villa Park as he only made ten Premier League appearances in 2021/22 and appeared in two matches this term.

Aouar, however, could come as a successor to his fellow countryman and offer competition for the likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, and Boubacar Kamara, instead of rarely playing and just picking up a pay packet.

The Frenchman, who journalist Matt Spiro once dubbed a "maestro", has only played eight times in Ligue 1 for Lyon this term but caught the eye with some strong performances in 2021/22 as the midfielder averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 across 36 outings - a score that would place him joint-sixth with Emi Buendia in the current Villa side.

Aouar produced six goals and four assists from the middle of the park, whilst also making 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game, and could offer an attacking threat from a midfield position.

Meanwhile, no Villa midfielder managed more than six goals and only one created more than four goals in the Premier League last season, which suggests that Aouar could be a much-needed addition to bolster the side's attacking potential in that position.

If Emery can get the Lyon man playing at his best then he could be a dream Sanson replacement as the possible impact the gem could make in the final third could make him a match-winner at times in the second half of the campaign.