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La Liga giants Real Madrid are reportedly close to completing the signing of Houssem Aouar from French club Lyon.
According to the Bernabeu Digital, Los Blancos have gained the upper hand in the chase for Aouar as Arsenal have switched their sights to Borussia Dortmund's Julian Brandt.
Aouar broke into Lyon's first team in 2017, and has since become one of the hottest prospects in European football. He has already made more than 150 appearances for Lyon, and his versatility has caught the eye of the continent's biggest clubs.
Aouar is capable of functioning both as a No.10 or a No.8, which allows him to be used in various tactical set-ups.
Arsenal tried to sign Aouar in the summer of 2020, but could not reach an agreement with the Ligue 1 club. Since then, the Gunners have gone on to sign Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid.
Now, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Arsenal have cooled their interest in Aouar for the moment. The London club have reportedly shifted their focus to signing Brandt from Dortmund.
Arsenal are said to be looking for more creativity and bite in the final third, which is why they are said to have decided to target Julian Brandt.
Real Madrid look to Aouar to freshen up midfield
Like the rest of Europe, Real Madrid have also been admirers of Aouar for a while, and manager Zinedine Zidane is also said to be a big fan of his countryman from Lyon.
The report also suggests that after scouting Aouar multiple times, Real Madrid have glowing reports about the Frenchman, who they want to be a long-term fixture in their midfield.
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos aren't getting any younger and, the Croatian in particular will need to be replaced. The summer of 2021 will be an ideal time for Aouar to come into the Real Madrid squad to replace Modric because of the experience around him in the likes of Kroos and Casemiro.
However, Aouar's contract with Lyon doesn't expire until the end of the 2022-23 season. If history is anything to go by, Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas will stick to his guns, and will only sell the player for the price he sets.
