FC Barcelona are interested in signing Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi from Angers in the upcoming transfer window.
Referred to by former Spain national team manager as "Morocco's number eight" after a sterling performance against La Roja before the Atlas Lions knocked them out on the penalties in the last 16, Ounahi has been one of the breakout stars of the ongoing Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Barca are currently in the market for a midfielder but Manchester City's Bernardo Silva is currently financially unavailable to them due to his hefty €100mn ($105mn) price tag.
Because of this, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana's attention has been drawn towards 22-year-old Ounahi whose name is "already on the table" of president Joan Laporta and his board at the Camp Nou offices.
Currently plying his trade at Angers, Ounahi is a lower cost option than the likes of Silva both in price tag and salary, and could provide a stop gap until Barca potentially land N'Golo Kante from Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer.
Ounahi stands out for his versatility in being able to play in a number of positions in midfield and has already shown that he can perform at a high level with excellent displays against Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Angers renewed his contract just three months before Qatar 2022, where Morocco will play holders France in the semi-finals on Wednesday, and extended its expiry from 2025 to 2026.
The youngster is currently valued at around €4mn ($4.2mn), but this figure has not been reviewed since his displays at the World Cup while it is currently unknown whether his new deal came fixed with a release clause.
Good news for whoever is interested in Ounahi and his fellow high-performing international teammate Sofiane Boufal is that Angers president Said Chabane has already remarked to RMC Sports that he sees the pair sold "in January or June" as the Ligue 1 club look to cash in.