One of the break-out stars of the FIFA 2022 World Football Club was Morocco and Angers star Azzedine Ounahi; a player who seems to fit the bill for Eddie Howe as a young, high-energy midfielder with great promise.
Sky Sports are reporting that two ‘unnamed Premier League clubs’ are now showing interest in the 22-year-old, which got me thinking – could Newcastle United be one of them? I see plenty reason why he’d appeal.
Young, fit, athletic, bags of technical ability and a great work ethic. Lionel Messi aside, Ounahi has also completed the most successful dribbles in Ligue 1 this season. One of those that might not be the completely finished article, but inside a squad that’s growing together all the time and all helping to find each other’s potential, he could be a perfect recruit.
The player himself has also poured more fuel on to the fire with his latest musings. Ounahi recently told the media he will decide his next club based on the “sporting project” on offer – not the stature of the team. He had a stella tournament in Qatar and has been linked to some of Europe’s top clubs ever since.
But, he seems to me, to be the sort of player the bigger Clubs may well want a longer closer look at before they plunge in and spend their money. Under PIF and given our current circumstances, we perhaps have an advantage in that respect.
After all, we’re currently third in the biggest league in Europe and starting to really cement in what the philosophies and aims of the owners may be. Ounahi talks about projects as a big factor behind his next step and I’d argue there isn’t a better or more excited one in world football right now than the one unfolding at St James’ Park. This is rather interesting when you hear what Ounahi has said.
“I told the Angers President, the sporting project comes first,” he said. “I don’t have a favourite league or an ideal destination, I want above all to evaluate the sporting project. I know that I still have progress to make at the club where I will go.”
“I want to be clear with everyone, I have no preference for this or that league, as if there is a real sporting project, then that’s where I will go.”
Sounds to me like a match made in heaven! But then, in amongst the January transfer scramble, a lot of these thoughts, rumours and statements do.
