Girona's Ounahi Attracts Interest as €20m Clause Looms
Girona midfielder Azzedine Ounahi has emerged as a major transfer target for clubs across Europe, with a release clause of just €20m making a summer exit increasingly likely, according to reports. The 25-year-old Moroccan international, who joined the Catalan side only last summer, has a host of clubs on alert ahead of the transfer window.
Spanish television program El Chiringuito has reported that Ounahi is attracting serious interest from clubs in Spain's La Liga, the English Premier League, and the German Bundesliga. The primary factor driving the interest is the player's relatively low release clause, set at a modest €20 million, a figure considered highly attractive for a player of his calibre and with his international pedigree.
Ounahi has endured an injury-disrupted first season at Montilivi, limiting him to just 16 appearances across all competitions for Michel's side. However, his performances when fit have been a bright spot, showcasing the technical quality and dynamism that made him a breakout star for Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His form has been a rare positive in a challenging season for Girona, who currently sit just four points off the European places.
The potential for Ounahi to star at this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America is seen as a major factor that could further inflate his value and attract more suitors. A strong tournament for the Atlas Lions would almost certainly trigger a bidding war for a player available at a fixed, and relatively modest, price. For Girona, this presents a familiar and difficult scenario, having previously sold key players like Aleix Garcia, Artem Dovbyk, and Miguel Gutierrez in recent seasons.
While Girona would be reluctant to lose another key player, the structure of the deal that brought Ounahi to the club from Olympique de Marseille includes the release clause, leaving them with little power to prevent a sale if the fee is met. The club's sporting director has previously acknowledged the model of developing and selling talent is a key part of their strategy, but repeated high-profile departures risk undermining the team's competitive progress.
The situation is further complicated by the potential departure of other key players like Arnau Martinez and Viktor Tsyhankov, who have also been linked with moves away. Should Girona fail to secure European football for next season, the exodus of their top talent could accelerate, with the potential departure of the gifted Ounahi being the most significant blow of all. For now, the club's focus will be on finishing the season strongly, hoping that a strong final position can convince their stars to stay, or at the very least, command a higher price for their prized assets.
