Ligue 1 giants ready to offer €20-25 million to sign Barcelona midfield target

Azzedine Ounahi was one of the revelations at the recently-concluded FIFA World Cup 2022. Along with Sofyan Amrabat, the 22-year-old bossed the midfield department for the Moroccan national team, making a big impression over the course of the tournament.

So much so that, a slew of top clubs across Europe have taken an interest in signing the Angers SCO midfielder. Barcelona, too, are on the list of admirers of Ounahi as they see him as a cost-effective option to strengthen the centre of the park.

The Catalan giants are looking for new additions in midfield, both in the pivot position and the interior role. While Ounahi may have a lengthy contract with Angers, he is expected to be available for a relatively reasonable price and his wages are unlikely to be a hindrance either.

However, the competition for the Moroccan international’s signing is heating up by the day. This past weekend, it had been reported that Napoli had taken the lead in the race to sign Ounahi.

Now, according to RMC Sport (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Olympique de Marseille have also entered the race to sign Ounahi and have now emerged as one of the frontrunners in the battle.

The Ligue 1 outfit, who finished second in the division last season, are once again pushing to achieve a top-four finish and are hoping to bolster their midfield department as a result. Club president Pablo Longoria has previously spoken of his admiration for Ounahi as well.

Now, the aforementioned report is stating that Marseille will be willing to shell out a fee of around €20-25 million in order to land the Moroccan midfielder from Angers, who are preparing themselves to offload their in-demand asset.

As for Barcelona, though, given their financial problems and Fair Play issues, a move of any kind for Ounahi in January looks unlikely. It will leave the field clear for other interested parties like Marseille and Napoli to go after his signing.