Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi says he has no 'preferred destination' amid reports linking the Morocco World Cup star with a move to Leeds United.
Ounahi is expected to leave Angers, who sit rock bottom in the French Ligue 1, during the January transfer window. Napoli are believed to have tabled a €15 million bid for the 22-year-old last week, although reports in Italy suggest the Serie A leaders have no desire to enter a bidding war.
Fabrizio Romano claims that Leeds are deciding 'how to proceed' with signings after spending big money on Georginio Rutter. Romano added that the 'deal is not dead' but warned that other clubs are following Ounahi's situation closely.
The player himself addressed the subject of his future when he returned to France from the World Cup last month, believing that the club project of any prospective buyer will play a key role in his final decision.
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"That's what I told the President. The sports project comes first. I don't have a favourite championship, I don't have an ideal destination, I look above all at the sporting project. In the Club where I will go, I still have to progress to show my qualities," Ounahi told Angers SCO's official website before the transfer window opened.
"To be clear with everyone, I have no preference for this or that championship because I look at the sporting project, the interest of the club but also my own. If there is a real sports project, that's where I'll go."
Ounahi played a crucial role in guiding Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Morocco became the first ever African nation to reach the last four at a World Cup finals, and interest in Ounahi has increased since the tournament.
The midfielder, who is contracted to Angers until 2026, returned to action for his current employers as a second half substitute in Sunday's 2-1 defeat against Clermont Foot.
He had been absent from the squad for their previous four games, while Angers are on a wretched run of 11 straight league defeats. Although Angers look poised to spend next season in the second-tier, Ounahi is still weighing up his options.
"Today, we all know that there are interested clubs. It will be a choice to make, a choice that will be important for my career and above all to make the right choice.
"We don't know how it will turn out yet. Am I going to sign and leave in January? Am I going to sign, stay and help the club and leave this summer? I do not know yet. I'm waiting for the days, weeks to come to make the right choice. I am in daily contact with the President."
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