Manchester City will have a huge gap to fill this summer when David Silva leaves, even if Phil Foden will ease the loss by stepping up his responsibilities.
But who replaces Foden?
There are some talented youngsters in the under-23s who could follow Foden in slowly making the transition from academy prospect to first-team option. Tommy Doyle has already made his senior debut and would be a prime candidate to earn a promotion to the first-team squad.
Alternatively, City could enter the transfer market for a new midfielder, and in Lyon's Houssem Aouar they might have a player who can be the next long-term solution in the centre of the park.
If Foden is David Silva's heir, then Aouar could be Ilkay Gundogan's long-term replacement.
Gundogan, 29, still has a few years left in his game, and like Foden, his responsibilities will surely increase when Silva leaves. The German is Guardiola's go-to man in Europe and in big games, and his adaptability in midfield is a huge advantage to City's fluid formation.
But every summer there are rumours of Gundogan's departure. In the next few seasons, City will have to discuss replacing him.
That is where Aouar comes in, the 21-year-old Frenchman who has already earned public praise from Pep Guardiola. That's not something the City boss does for just any player.
Aouar, like Gundogan, is adept at playing in central midfield, defensive midfield, and on occasion in attacking midfield. His return of 24 goals and 24 assists in 133 games for Lyon shows his competence in front of goal, too.
His record is better than Gundogan's for Borussia Dortmund and Nuremberg before joining City - 23 goals and 26 assists in 210 games. Gundogan's record for City is slightly more prolific, which would give hope that Aouar would provide even more if he made the move to the Etihad with Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne to learn from.
Lyon have admitted that their failure to qualify for the Champions League next season, plus the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, could force them to sell their better players - including Aouar.
If he is available, City could do worse than making a move this summer and lock in their future midfield for the next few years.
With Phil Foden and Rodri already identified as the replacements for Silva and Fernandinho, Aouar could complete City's future midfield trio.
