Barcelona ‘seduced’ by Ligue 1 midfielder, have already reached out to entourage

Even if Arthur has started to show exactly why Barcelona did everything in their power to sign him, the Catalan club are constantly looking for the next midfielder to bolster their squad, as shown by their interests in Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot.

They might still get the Frenchman, but L’Equipe on Tuesday suggests another Ligue 1 player could be their centre of attention in the next year or so: Houssem Aouar.

A precocious talent, the France U21 international has already captured the imagination of many clubs, but with a contract keeping him at Lyon until 2023, any transfer would be expensive.

That hasn’t put Barcelona off, however, as L’Equipe state the Catalans were ‘seduced’ by his first season as a professional and have, since last year, started getting in touch with the 21-year-old’s agents.

For someone who the French newspaper describe as ‘feasting’ on Xavi and Andres Iniesta videos as a young kid, that’s quite the honour.

In 33 appearances in all competitions this season, Houssem Aouar has scored six goals and provided his teammates with five assists, including three in the Champions League group stages.