Lionel Messi and Kevin de Bruyne in agreement on Arsenal target Houssem Aouar

Kevin de Bruyne and Lionel Messi are just two of the high-profile players who have lauded Arsenal target Houssem Aouar in recent times.

The 22-year-old midfielder has shone for Lyon in the past few seasons since coming through the academy at the French club, and it is appearing likely he will earn a big-money move to an elite team this summer.

He scored three goals and created four assists in Ligue 1 last season, while he was also a crucial part of the side which made in to the Champions League semi-finals, providing an assist in the shock 3-1 win over Manchester City in the quarters.

And his exploits have clearly not been ignored, with De Bruyne singling him out for praise following that result in Lisbon last month.

The City man was quoted by Manchester Evening News after the game as saying: “Lyon have a great team. I don’t follow the French league as much as other leagues, but if I have to pick one player that has impressed me from Lyon, it would be Houssem Aouar. He was fantastic.”

High praise indeed, especially coming from one of the greatest playmakers in the world.

But Aouar may have been even more overwhelmed after he was complimented by arguably the best to have ever played the game.

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Messi was asked for his list of top 15 young players to watch earlier this year, and included Aouar alongside such illustrious talent as Jadon Sancho, Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

And speaking about him, Messi said: “He is always calm with the ball at his feet and has excellent technical quality.”

Whether Arsenal can reach an agreement with Lyon over a move for Aouar or not remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: it would certainly be a signing which would excite supporters far and wide.