Aston Villa are excited about signing Angers SCO midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, and will make a transfer for the maestro earlier than the closing of the January switch window in lower than two weeks time.
The Moroccan gem was integral in his nation’s gorgeous 2022 World Cup marketing campaign, conducting the play from center and flourishing as his aspect turned the primary ever African nation to achieve the semi-finals of the distinguished international event.
Subsequently, a complete host of the aspiring aspect’s expressed curiosity in his providers, with Villa boss Unai Emery certainly among the many suitors, in response to Italian journalist Ciro Venerato (by way of Sport Witness), with a price inside the area of €25m (£22m) required to prise him away.
Venerato stated: “These are decisive days for the Moroccan midfielder. The president of Angers left for England yesterday [Monday] and it appears that he’s speaking to Aston Villa who acquired a no from the Juventus participant, McKennie, two days in the past, greater than Leeds.”
The 22-year-old, who has made 48 appearances for his French outfit, has maintained a mean profession passing accuracy of 87.3%, as per WhoScored, additionally displaying his versatility with 0.8 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per match.
As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the many prime 1% of midfielders for accomplished dribbles over the previous yr, the highest 6% for touches within the penalty space, the highest 4% for progressive passes acquired and the highest 16% for complete photographs, illustrating the artistic aptitude and offensive onus that may solely improve the formidable Villa ranks within the pursuit of a top-half league end this season.
Would Azzedine Ounahi flourish at Villa?
Sure
No
With such innate gliding runs and common surging dashes into the hazard space, Villans would possibly type added incentive in seeing the membership purchase the signature of one of many sport’s rising stars by contemplating the similarities the ace has to former phenom and immensely endeared determine Jack Grealish, who departed his boyhood membership for Manchester Metropolis in a British-record £100m deal in 2021, following a monumental talismanic profession at Villa Park.
Grealish’s weaves and trickery, bypassing resolute backlines and leaving defenders dazed and spluttering in his wake all mixed to craft some of the arresting figures that the Claret & Blue has seen for a very long time, together with his pivotal involvement in main the membership again to the Premier League from the second tier in 2019 and rising again to a good standing inside the top-flight leaving his identify etched within the outfit’s folklore.
The “revelation” that’s Ounahi – as lauded by expertise scout Jacek Kulig – usually performs a extra central position, however together with his brimming guile and ingenuity with the ball at his ft, he can also mould a profitable stick with the two-time European champions, offering the spark from the center of Emery’s set-up to make a distinction within the struggle to interrupt away from mediocrity.
Along with his stellar showings for membership and nation, with the previous riddled with worries relating to their bottom-placed seat within the French Ligue 1, he has proved that he’s an ace with the world at his ft, and may Villa technical director Johan Lange achieve making a breakthrough in negotiations, Emery may have his very personal Grealish to ship the Villan trustworthy into rapture.
