Barcelona Revives Interest in Azzedine Ounahi Amid De Jong Injury

Barcelona have turned back to a familiar name in their search for midfield cover, reviving interest in Girona’s Azzedine Ounahi as the summer window starts to tighten around them.

Spanish programme "El Chiringuito" reports that the Catalan club are actively weighing up a move for the Morocco international, with Frenkie de Jong’s injury forcing the sporting department to reassess their options in the centre of the pitch. The Dutchman’s setback has not just opened a gap in Xavi’s plans; it has accelerated a debate that has been simmering at Camp Nou for more than a year: who can bring energy, line-breaking runs and personality to a midfield in transition?

Ounahi’s name was always going to resurface.

The Girona midfielder is one of the most coveted profiles in LaLiga this summer, with several clubs tracking him closely. For now, he has not committed to any destination, keeping his future open while the interest around him gathers pace.

His reputation was forged on the biggest stage. Ounahi lit up the 2026 World Cup with Morocco, driving the Atlas Lions into the quarter-finals with his blend of press resistance, sharp turns and fearless carrying through the thirds. It was the kind of tournament that changes a career: from promising talent to player every sporting director has on a shortlist.

Barcelona know that feeling well. They were already circling after his breakout at the 2022 World Cup, when his performances in Qatar pushed him firmly onto their radar. That move never materialised, the deal collapsing before it reached the decisive stage, but the admiration inside the club never really faded.

Now the context is different. De Jong’s injury has left Barcelona light in a key zone, and Ounahi, already proven in Spain with Girona and battle-tested with Morocco, fits the profile of a midfielder who can inject tempo and verticality into a side that often struggles to turn control into incision.

The race for his signature is on again. This time, Barcelona cannot afford to watch it pass them by.