The French starlet has been heavily linked with a move to Etihad Stadium after an impressive 2019-20 campaign at Groupama Stadium
Rumoured Manchester City target Houssem Aouar hasn’t asked to leave Lyon, according to their club president Jean-Michel Aulas.
Aouar has attracted attention from top clubs across Europe over the last nine months, including Paris-Saint Germain, Juventus, Arsenal and Liverpool.
However, City are believed to be leading the race for the 21-year-old, whose current market value is reportedly set at around €50 million (£44m/$54m).
Aouar has scored nine goals and laid on seven assists in 37 appearances for Lyon this season, helping them challenge at the top end of the Ligue 1 table while also reaching the Champions League knockout stages.
Despite the ongoing speculation over the French midfielder’s future at the Groupama Stadium, he is still under contract until 2023, and Aulas does not wish to lose a talented young playmaker prematurely.
The Lyon president acknowledges the fact a long list of potential suitors are keeping an eye on Aulas, but insists he has never expressed any desire to secure a move away from the club.
Aulas told Lyon’s official website: “A player’s decision is always the most important thing. Keeping a player against his wishes is not reasonable.
“Houssem has not said he wants to leave. We want to try to keep him even though the interest is considerable. There are no negotiations ongoing.”
Aouar’s recent progress was cut short when the 2019-20 season was put on hiatus in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has caused over 22,000 deaths in France to date.
Lyon and the rest of the clubs in Ligue 1 have closed their doors for the time being, with players and staff forced into self-isolation at home in accordance with new government legislation regarding social distancing.
A number of major European leagues are still waiting on firm dates for a return to action, but the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) have already outlined their intentions to resume the campaign in the middle of June.
Although Aulas is backing the LFP’s proposal, he insists that public health “must come first” as the fight to contain the spread of Covid-19 continues.
He said: “We must have the exact dates that the government will propose to us in hand. From this perspective, the championship would likely resume on June 15.
“Everything will have to be finished by August 3 as UEFA will also end its Champions League campaigns by August 29. This is the ideal scenario we are working on… but health must come first.
“The health of the players, the staff, and of all those who will participate in these matches, which will probably be behind closed doors at least at the beginning.”
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