Barcelona Target Azzedine Ounahi Amid De Jong Injury

Barcelona have gone back to a familiar name as they scramble to reinforce a suddenly vulnerable midfield: Azzedine Ounahi.

The Girona playmaker, one of the breakout stars of Morocco’s 2022 World Cup run and again a driving force as the Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals at the 2026 edition, is back on the Catalan club’s radar during this transfer window. Spanish programme "El Chiringuito" reports that Barça are actively weighing up a move, with Frenkie de Jong’s injury forcing a rethink in the engine room.

The need is clear. De Jong’s setback strips Barcelona of control and progression in the centre of the pitch, the very qualities that turned Ounahi into a World Cup sensation and a coveted name across Europe. His ability to carry the ball, break lines and inject tempo has made him one of Girona’s most prized assets and a natural fit for a side built on midfield dominance.

This is not a new courtship. Barcelona circled Ounahi after his dazzling performances at Qatar 2022, when his fearless pressing and composure in possession helped Morocco shock the established order on the global stage. That move never materialised, the deal collapsing before it reached the final stretch, and Ounahi’s path took him elsewhere.

Now the story has swung back around. Several clubs are chasing the Girona midfielder this summer, and the competition is real. For the moment, Ounahi has not committed to any destination, leaving his future wide open as the window gathers pace.

Barcelona know the profile, they know the stage he has already handled, and they know the gap De Jong’s injury has ripped open. The question is whether this time, with the clock ticking and rivals circling, they are ready to push the deal over the line.