Napoli are making progress in their chase of Azzedine Ounahi, but they have to fend off multiple suitors. Unlike other sides, the Partenopei would allow him to finish the season in Ligue 1, as Angers requested. But they have to be wary of the competition.
According to L’Equipe, Almeria have emerged as credible contenders for the Moroccan midfielder. They are owned by Saudi magnate Turki Al-Sheikh. They got promoted to the top division last season and plan to splurge to onboard youngsters to shore up the squad. Leicester City and Olympique Marseille are also in the running.
Napoli had inquired about Ounahi before the World Cup. However, his strong showings in Qatar drove up his price tag to €25M. While they can formally acquire him in January, they wouldn’t be able to register him since they already signed two extra-EU players. Therefore, leaving him on loan to Angers isn’t much of a choice.
Le SCO, which purchased him for a meager fee in 2021, wishes to cash in right away to take advantage of the favorable momentum. They are doing what they can to stoke the bidding war.
Our Take on Napoli and Ounahi
The Azzurri would have gladly avoided the situation, but they must really like the player if they stayed on him even after a few clubs began competing with them. With good reasons, given how impressive he was in the World Cup, and the fact that their midfield could be in flux in the summer. The cost might have already gotten too high for their liking. It’ll be interesting to see if they’ll persevere. Losing him to a minnow wouldn’t be a great look, though.
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