Barcelona Revives Interest in Azzedine Ounahi After De Jong Injury

Barcelona have gone back to a familiar name in their search for midfield cover, reviving their interest in Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi after Frenkie de Jong’s latest injury setback.

Spanish programme "El Chiringuito" reports that the Catalan club are weighing up a move for the Girona midfielder during the current summer window, as they look to plug a growing gap in the centre of the pitch. De Jong’s absence has sharpened the need for fresh legs and fresh ideas, and Ounahi is back on the radar.

He will not be short of options. Several clubs are tracking the Girona man after his rise in Spain and on the international stage, yet he has not committed to any move and his future remains open. For now, he waits. The market moves around him.

Barcelona know exactly why his name keeps coming up. Ounahi lit up the 2026 World Cup with the Atlas Lions, driving Morocco to a historic quarter-final place with his energy, press resistance and ability to glide through midfield lines. It was the latest chapter in a story that first caught Europe’s eye four years earlier.

This is not the first time Camp Nou has loomed in his career. After his breakout performances for Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, Barcelona explored a deal, intrigued by his profile and relatively accessible price. The talks went nowhere in the end, the move collapsed, and Ounahi’s path took him elsewhere.

Now the need in Barcelona’s midfield is back. So is his name. Whether this is finally the moment the two stories align will depend on how hard the Catalans push — and how long Ounahi is prepared to wait.