Since arriving in October, Emery has encountered significant changes in place at Villa Park, both on and off the pitch. After bolstering the defensive and offensive ranks with players like Alex Moreno (Real Betis) and Jhon Duran (Colorado Rapids), he could now focus on midfield. According to Italian journalist Ciro Venerato, Villa would be interested in one of the revelations of the 2022 World Cup. He said: “These days are decisive for the Moroccan midfielder. The president of Angers has left for England and it seems that he is discussing with Aston Villa”.
Live: Azzedine Ounahi is in the oil of FC Barcelona
Priced at around €25m (£22m), Azzedine Ounahi would bring creativity and confidence to Aston Villa’s midfield, instilling fluidity and perhaps developing into the one of the most prominent midfielders in the English league. He played 48 games for his side, scoring two goals and two assists, and one impressed with his ball-to-foot skills and ease with the ball.
This season, the player with 17 caps with Morocco has played 15 games with his difficult team, which currently occupies the last place in Ligue 1 and is going through a bad patch, having lost 11 consecutive games in the league.
Would Ounahi flourish at Aston Villa? According to Sofascore, he has averaged 1.5 shots and 1.1 assists per game in the league this season, with an 88% pass success rate while also achieving 1.3 tackles and 1 interception per game. It was therefore essential to prevent his team from sinking further towards relegation.