Best Alternatives to Houssem Aouar

Playing Style Analysis

Aouar remains one of European football's great unfulfilled promises, yet the data from his current Pro League campaign tells a more nuanced story than the familiar narrative of decline. His shot volume sits in the top 10% for midfielders in this league, and he's converting at a rate that places him in the top 20% for goals — a man who hasn't forgotten how to find the net, even if the stage has dimmed. His aerial win rate of 66.7% is genuinely elite for a midfielder, a physical dimension that his Lyon highlights never suggested. The three closest DNA matches to Houssem Aouar:

• Rayan Cherki(84% match) — A Creator. Statistically, he stands out as comfortable with both feet, an elite creator (3.2 key passes/90), a constant goal threat (2.8 shots/90), a regular goalscorer (0.20 goals/90), a prolific assist provider (0.61 assists/90), a dynamic dribbler (2.6/90), meticulous in distribution (86% pass accuracy), heavily involved in possession (64 passes/90), creates high-quality scoring opportunities (0.86 big chances/90), central to possession (89 touches/90), active off the ball (2.2 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions and top 10% creator in the league.
• Justin Kluivert(82% match) — A Creator. Statistically, he stands out as comfortable with both feet, an elite creator (2.0 key passes/90), heavily involved in play (50 touches/90), active off the ball (2.0 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions and top 10% creator in the league.
• Martin Ødegaard(82% match) — A Creator. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, an elite creator (2.6 key passes/90), a prolific assist provider (0.39 assists/90), penetrates with forward passing (8.2 final-third passes/90), heavily involved in play (66 touches/90), active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions and top 10% creator in the league.

Similarity uses per-90 performance across playing-style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →