Houssem Aouar 'eager' to join Barcelona or Real Madrid (reliability: 5 stars)

• Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar is willing to snub a move to his long-term admirers Arsenal as he's 'eager' to join Barcelona or Real Madrid, according to ESPN's James Olley.
• The Gunners missed out on the 22-year-old last summer as they refused to meet the Ligue 1 club's €60m asking price.
• The Premier League side are set to make another attempt to land the France international at the end of the season.
• Aouar, however, wants to find out whether Barca or Madrid are interested in him before making a final decision on his next career step.
• Even though Olley isn't among the most trustworthy sources, his report does seem like a reliable one as arguably any player in the world would favour a move to one of the La Liga giants over joining mid-table Arsenal.
• The Catalans, on the other hand, are unlikely to land the midfielder due to the club's financial struggles.
• What's more, Ronald Koeman's first-choice target Georginio Wijnaldum, whose contract with Liverpool expires in the summer, looks like a more accessible option to strengthen Barca's squad.

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