Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum looks to have entered the final weeks of his Anfield career as the Dutchman runs down his contract.
Having been unable to agree on a new deal to stay on Merseyside, the 30-year-old could leave on a free at the end of the season with interest coming from around Europe.
The Reds will need to replace Wijnaldum, with the squad’s strength in depth already under scrutiny.
One man who has been widely touted as a possible replacement is Lyon captain Houssem Aouar.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has been performing beyond his years for some time and could be ready to make the step into the Premier League from Ligue 1 this summer.
With funds perhaps tighter than ever owing to the pandemic, Liverpool have received a potential boost in any pursuit of Aouar this week.
It was reported in L’Equipe, as cited by The Anfield Buzz on Twitter, that Lyon could accept bids in the region of €30m (£26m) for their inspirational midfielder.
Twitter:
| According to @LEquipe, Lyon would be open to selling Houssem Aouar this summer for around €30m.
Would this be… https://t.co/j7OLgCt5vG (@TheAnfieldBuzz)
This season, Aouar has scored seven goals and registered four assists in 31 appearances across all competitions – earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.86 in the league.
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Holding a market value of £45m, signing the one cap Frenchman for less than £30m would be a bargain deal.
Perhaps a more attacking based player than Wijnaldum – something many Kopites would say is a necessity – Aouar was hailed ‘incredible’ by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after his side were eliminated in the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League.
