Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar recently and the Frenchman could be a superb addition to Nuno Espirito Santo's side ahead of next season.
What's the word?
According to French news outlet Le10 Sport, Spurs have joined their North London rivals Arsenal in the race for the Lyon star this summer.
The report claims that whilst Lyon are keen to keep him at the club, they have been hugely impacted by the issues with the TV deals in Ligue 1 that have left the majority of French clubs under financial strain, which means that they could be willing to let him go for less than the £45m they demanded of Arsenal last summer.
Would he be a good signing?
Aouar has been a regular at Lyon in the past four seasons, making 170 appearances for the French giants, in which he has contributed an impressive 32 goals and 31 assists from midfield.
Last season saw the 23-year-old contribute seven goals and three assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances for Les Gones, averaging a solid 6.83 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
Whilst that would rank him above the majority of Spurs' midfield options from last season, Spurs should perhaps be wary of the fact that Tanguy Ndombele, who was also signed from Lyon, has thus far failed to reach the level he was consistently showing in Ligue 1, despite some improved performances last campaign after a nightmare first season at the club.
However, Aouar is clearly a player who is held in high regard across Europe, with legendary Barcelona star Lionel Messi naming him as one of 15 young players to watch, whilst also singing his praises in 2020, saying:
"He is always calm with the ball at his feet with an excellent technical quality."
Therefore, if he is able to adapt to the Premier League then he could prove to be a superb addition to Espirito Santo's side this summer, so sporting director Fabio Paratici should definitely be looking to bring him in.
And, in other news... Paratici can sign Nuno a serious Dier upgrade with swoop for "brilliant" beast