Who is Azzedine Ounahi? Morocco's midfield star wanted by Barcelona

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 12 Dec 2022 12:06 GMT
• 4 min read

Azzedine Ounahi has starred for Morocco as they have become the first African team ever to reach the World Cup semi-finals, attracting the interest of Barcelona in the process.

Morocco have shocked world football in Qatar this winter, topping a group which included Croatia and Belgium before beating Spain and Portugal on the way to their semi-final with world champions France.

The Atlas Lions boast a handful of players already well known in European football such as Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech and PSG's flying full-back Achraf Hakimi, but Ounahi has been as good as any of his compatriots.

READ: Azzedine Ounahi's Football Transfers profile

Currently plying his trade in Ligue 1 with Angers, he is unlikely to be at his relegation-threatened employers for long after his incredible World Cup.

What position does Ounahi play in?

Ounahi is a box-to-box midfielder who has been lining up on the right of a 4-3-3 in Qatar, with Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat acting as the primary anchor and Standard Liege man Selim Amallah on the opposite side. He tends to play more centrally for Angers, but his versatility is to his advantage.

How good is Ounahi?

Despite playing for struggling Angers, some of Ounahi's stats over the last year are among the best Ligue 1-wide, including his average of three dribbles completed per game and four progressive passes received.

He also has quite a set of lungs on him. "Madre Mia, where did this kid come from?!" asked an exacerbated Luis Enrique after Morocco beat Spain in the last 16. "He can really play. He surprised me. He didn't stop running. He must be exhausted!"

READ: Best Moroccan Football Players

What clubs are interested in Ounahi?

Teams like Wolves and Sevilla were linked with Ounahi last summer, but after starring at the World Cup for Morocco, big guns like Barcelona are now in for him.

The Blaugrana want to bolster their midfield with Sergio Busquets leaving at the end of this season and Franck Kessie failing to impress since his arrival from AC Milan, and they don't have a huge budget to do so following their early Champions League exit.

Ounahi - rated at €11.3 million by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm - could be that man.

When does Ounahi's contract expire?

Ounahi only extended his contract with Angers in August, tying him to the Stade Raymond Kopa until 30 June 2026.

How old is Ounahi?

Born on 19 April 2000, Ounahi is 22 at the time of writing.

He shares a birthdate with former Barcelona superstar Rivaldo.

What is Ounahi's Instagram?

Ounahi's Instagram can be found under the handle azzedine_ounahi. He has 934K followers as of December 2022.