Barcelona Reconsiders Azzedine Ounahi Amid De Jong Injury

Barcelona have gone back to an old name on their midfield shortlist. Azzedine Ounahi is back on the radar at Camp Nou.

The Girona midfielder, a standout for Morocco, has emerged once more as a serious option in this summer’s window, with the club forced into a rethink after Frenkie de Jong’s injury. According to Spanish programme "El Chiringuito", the Catalan side are weighing up a move as they look for immediate reinforcement in the centre of the pitch.

The situation is clear: De Jong’s setback has ripped a hole in the heart of the team. Barcelona need legs, craft and personality in midfield. Ounahi ticks all three boxes.

He is not short of admirers. Several clubs are chasing the Girona man this summer, drawn by his blend of work rate and elegance on the ball, but the 24-year-old has yet to make a call on his future. For now, he waits. So do they.

Barcelona know exactly what they would be getting. Ounahi lit up the 2026 World Cup with the Atlas Lions, driving Morocco all the way to the quarter-finals. His performances in midfield — fearless on the turn, relentless without the ball — pushed his name firmly into the European spotlight.

It was a reminder rather than a revelation. His rise had already caught Barça’s eye during the 2022 World Cup, when he first became closely linked with a move to Camp Nou. Back then, the courtship was intense, the talks serious, but the deal collapsed before it could be sealed.

Now the story has circled back. A familiar target, a familiar need, but a different moment for both player and club.

Whether Barcelona finally turn long-standing admiration into a concrete offer will define more than just the end of their transfer window. It may shape the next phase of their midfield for years to come.