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The idea of Azzedine Ounahi remaining at Angers for much longer seems for foreign by the minute, but who can the club get to replace him?
It appears that bottom-place Ligue 1 side Angers are already resigned to losing World Cup breakout star, Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi, once the January transfer window opens, and they are already lining up some names to replace the outgoing midfielder.
Ounahi has been linked with a move to several top European clubs, including Arsenal, Napoli, Leicester City, and Barcelona.
It makes sense that Angers is looking to reinvest in their team by finding the ideal player to replace Ounahi because they could receive a windfall of €45 million if a deal for the midfielder materializes in January.
Moataz Zemzemi to Angers
Top of Angers’ list is Tunisian midfielder Moataz Zemzemi, who plays with Niort, who are incidentally also bottom of Ligue 2.
The 23-year-old midfielder offers a similar profile to Ounahi and would not be opposed to a move to Angers either in January or in the summer.
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Zemzemi has already made 17 appearances for Niort this season across Ligue 2 and the Coupe de France and would be keen to join Angers’ effort to stay in Ligue 1 should he replace Ounahi before the end of the January window.
Niort is also thought to be willing to discuss a deal for Zemzemi, whose contract runs out in 2024, although they will be as willing to discuss a transfer with another French club, Brest, who are also interested, as they would with Angers.
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane to Angers
Angers are also considering a move for Esperance midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, whom they already started to keep tabs on immediately after the World Cup.
They will face stiffer competition for the 22-year-old Tunisian midfielder, who has already started to gather a reputation for himself after also appearing in the 2022 World Cup for the Tunisian national team.
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At least three other clubs, including Lorient, Montpellier, and even Lyon, have also cast longing glances towards Ben Romdhane, and they might represent better opportunities for the offensive midfielder than Angers considering where they each are on the Ligue 1 table.
Ben Romdhane will be unable to replace Ounahi if he leaves during the winter transfer window, as Esperance have refused to do business with any club regarding the Tunisian international, preferring to lose him in the summer of 2023 when his contract expires.
Though he is arguably the better player, he will also prove the harder target to get.
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