Speaking to RTL France (h/t Fabrizio Romano), Said Chabane, the president of Angers SCO has claimed that they have received many bids for Barcelona target Azzedine Ounahi ahead of the January transfer window.
However, the Ligue 1 club supremo insisted that their desire was to strike an agreement for the midfielder in January but keep him at Angers until the end of the season.
Ounahi has been with Angers since 2021 and has been a consistent performer for the Ligue 1 minnows. However, he has burst into the limelight following a string of impressive performances for the Moroccan national team at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Indeed, the 22-year-old midfielder has been one of Morocco’s top performers alongside the likes of Sofyan Amrabat and Bono, helping them make it as far as the semi-finals of the World Cup.
It has put Ounahi on the radars of Barcelona, who are seeing the midfielder as a cost-effective reinforcement option.
And Said Chabane, president of Angers, who had previously admitted that they would be open to sanctioning the sale of Ounahi, has now admitted that he has received offers from several leagues for the Moroccan.
“We’ve many bids, we’ve been approached by big clubs in Italy, Spain, England, France,” he said.
However, Chabane added that Angers would prefer to secure an agreement to sell Ounahi now but keep the midfielder at the club until the end of the season.
“Our wish is to complete an agreement now, but keep the player until the end of the season,” he added.
Even though Ounahi is contracted with Angers until 2026, the 22-year-old could be available for an affordable price for Barcelona while his wages are unlikely to be a major burden either.
On top of that, his ability to play as an interior midfielder or in the pivot position has made him an attractive prospect at Spotify Camp Nou. However, whether the Blaugrana have the funds to pull off a transfer in January, especially amidst wave of offers arriving for him, remains the big question.