Chelsea line up £43m bid for Lyon starlet Houssem Aouar | OneFootball

Chelsea have set their sights on Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar as Frank Lampard solidifies his plans to overhaul his squad in the summer.

Italian outlet Tuttosport, via Metro, have reported that the Stamford Bridge club want to steal a march on Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester City, all of whom have been linked with the 21-year-old.

The reports says that the Blues are “particularly interested” in Aouar, having come to the conclusion that the France U21 star is a better long-term option than Miralem Pjanic of Juve.

Aouar has come up through the ranks at Lyon, but Chelsea are ready to test the French side’s resolve with a bid of £43m.

Lampard has been visibly frustrated with his youthful squad’s inconsistency this season, and was critical of his side’s finishing yet again after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

“There is a reason why we are where we are [in the table],” Lampard had said ahead of the trip to the south coast.

Chelsea have looked odds-on to secure a top four place for most of the season.

However, Manchester United will move to within one point of them if the Red Devils overcome Everton on Sunday.

Lampard is acutely aware of how important Champions League football will be in terms of attracting the likes of Aouar to West London.