Leeds ‘moving eagerly’ to sign Morocco star Azzedine Ounahi
Leeds United are already moving to sign Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi following his impressive 2022 World Cup campaign for Morocco.
The Lowdown: Ounahi shines in Qatar
The North African side were the surprise package in Qatar, reaching the semi-finals and playing some eye-catching football along the way.
Many players stood out for Morocco and Ounahi was undoubtedly one of them, producing a string of energetic and influential performances in the middle of the park and earning a place of Sky Sports‘ team of the tournament.
He started six of his country’s matches in total, only failing to be in the starting lineup for the third-place playoff defeat to Croatia, averaging 1.3 tackles and 1.4 dribbles per game.
The Latest: Leeds make their move
According to ASRomaLive.it [via Sport Witness], Leeds are ‘moving rather eagerly’ to sign Ounahi.
Roma believe they will be able to pip the Whites to the signing of another target – Sasa Lukic from Torino – due to the Elland Road hierarchy’s attention turning to the Moroccan.
The Verdict: Could be a great addition
Granted, a World Cup isn’t always the perfect way to gauge a player, considering its short and sharp nature, but Ounahi was superb and looks to have the tools to be a great signing for Leeds.
At just 22, the central midfielder is at a great age to come in and provide a long-term option, especially with Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw both ageing and injury-stricken.
Ounahi can provide both relentless pressing off the ball and quality on it – he enjoyed an 83.3% pass completion rate in Qatar – having been hailed as ‘absolutely incredible’ by Jose Mourinho during the tournament.