Houllier after Makoun

Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has been sounding out Cameroon international Jean II Makoun ahead of a possible swoop for the want away Lyon midfielder in the January transfer window, reports said Friday.
Makoun on Thursday announced he was looking for a way out of the former French champions, especially as some unhappy fans have openly called for his departure in recent weeks.
L'Equipe daily said former Lyon coach Houllier, who did not know the Cameroonian during his spell with the club as Makoun played in Lille at the time, "has made Makoun one of his priority signings for January".
"In the last few days he (Houllier) has been sounding out the player, who he likes a lot," the report added.
Makoun has not been playing as regularly as he would like at Lyon, and said Thursday: "We're obviously thinking about the winter transfer market and it's totally normal for me to be looking to see if I can get more playing time elsewhere."
Makoun arrived at the seven-time consecutive French champions (2002-2008) from Lille in 2008 for a fee of 14 million euros.