Felipe
Aston Villa are reportedly ready to make a sustained effort to sign Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi. When the 22-year-old went to the World Cup with Morocco in November, he was a relative unknown to bigger clubs having failed to make an impression in an Angers side who sit bottom of Ligue 1.
However, on the back of starring for the Atlas Lions during their run to the semi-finals in Qatar, Ounahi is now regarded as one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe. For a number of weeks, the likes of Napoli, Leeds United and Leicester City have all been linked with the player, while Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain were briefly credited as admirers.
Nevertheless, according to Italian journalist Ciro Venerato, Villa have emerged as one of the more likely destinations for Ounahi before the end of the January transfer window. Venerato claims that Villa have moved to try to sign Ounahi after failing to negotiate a deal with Juventus for Weston McKennie.
Speaking to Tg Sport, Venerato said: “These are decisive days for the Moroccan midfielder. The president of Angers left for England yesterday [Monday] and it seems that he is talking to Aston Villa who received a no from the Juventus player, [Weston] McKennie, two days ago, more than Leeds.”