Nottingham Forest could face competition from Crystal Palace in their hopes of signing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar this summer.
The 24-year-old has emerged as a target for Steve Cooper, who looks to continue to add to his squad in the final two weeks of the transfer window. Reports this week claim that Forest have now reached an agreement with Aouar over a transfer, but still need to find an agreement with Lyon.
According to L’Equipe, the two clubs are still €5million (£4.2m) apart in their valuation. It is said that Lyon are looking for a fee of around €15million (£12.7m), but Forest’s latest offer of €10million (£8.5m), plus bonuses on resale, has been turned down by the French side.
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There could now also be another spanner in the works with it claimed that fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace have "expressed an interest" in the player. The Eagles are managed by French legend Patrick Vieira, something which could catch the eye of Aouar.
Leicester City and Spanish side Real Betis have also been linked with an interest in the midfielder this summer. However, it seems that the latter have been ruled out of a move due to Financial Fair Play rules in Spain.
L’Equipe also report that while Aouar has reached an agreement with Forest over a potential move, he is still said to be ‘hesitant’ in making the decision about his future. Due to the importance of his next move for his career.
The midfielder has made a total of 216 appearances for Lyon, scoring 40 goals and providing 35 assists. He came up through the youth team of the club but has seen recent seasons curtailed by injury after being linked with a move to Arsenal.
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