Leeds United have already seen one midfielder wave goodbye to Elland Road this month as Mateusz Klich brought an end to his time at the West Yorkshire club and joined MLS side D.C. United.
Prior to his exit, the midfielder had made 14 Premier League appearances for Jesse Marsch’s side but didn’t start any of them.
Another midfield figure that has struggled for game time this season at Leeds is Adam Forshaw, who has only made five league appearances for the Whites.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it’s not looking likely that the club will offer the 31-year-old a new deal.
If Victor Orta and Marsch are thinking of getting rid of Forshaw in the near future, one player that the club have been linked with that we feel could be an ideal replacement for him is Azzedine Ounahi.
The latest reports to emerge on their chase of the midfielder have stated that although Leeds remain the highest bidders, they are reluctant to meet Angers’ asking price, nor do they want to loan him back to the struggling Ligue 1 outfit, as per their request.
This season has seen the 22-year-old start 13 of the 15 Ligue 1 appearances he’s made for Angers, playing across numerous midfield positions.
Across those appearances, Ounahi has shown how much of a capable well-rounded midfielder he is by racking up the second-highest number of progressive passes (62) and shot-creating actions (43) at the French club.
He also has the joint-second highest number of tackles made in the midfield third of the pitch (13), showing how effective he can be out of possession as well as moving the ball forward for his side.
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The Moroccan’s efforts in the World Cup caught the attention of Jose Mourinho, who described Ounahi’s performances as “incredible” for the semi-finalists.
Taking all of this into account, it’s clear that the Angers star has the talent to be an exciting signing for Leeds and give Marsch an extra bit of quality to his squad.
Moving forward, if the Yorkshire club were to seal a deal for Ounahi this month, this would surely be a nail in the coffin for Forshaw’s time at Leeds.