Barcelona Revives Interest in Ounahi After De Jong Injury

Barcelona have turned back to a familiar name in their search for midfield cover, reopening their pursuit of Morocco star Azzedine Ounahi after Frenkie de Jong’s latest injury setback.

Spanish TV programme "El Chiringuito" reports that the Catalan club are actively weighing up a move for the Girona midfielder during the current summer window, with the need for reinforcements in the middle of the pitch now pressing rather than optional.

De Jong’s absence has stripped control and personality from Barcelona’s midfield. The response from the sporting department has been swift: go back to a player who has already impressed them on the biggest stage.

Ounahi’s stock rose sharply at the 2022 World Cup, where he dazzled for the Atlas Lions and helped drive Morocco to a historic semi-final run. Barcelona tracked him closely then and explored a deal, only to see the move collapse before it reached the final stage.

The story has circled back. Ounahi, now a standout at Girona, is once again on the radar at Camp Nou.

He has not made a decision on his future, and that hesitation has opened a window. Several clubs are in the race for his signature this summer, sensing an opportunity to land a midfielder who has already shown he can carry a national team deep into a World Cup — and did so again at the 2026 edition, where he helped Morocco reach the quarter-finals.

For Barcelona, the equation is clear. They need legs, creativity and personality in midfield while De Jong recovers. Ounahi offers all three, and he knows what it means to perform under suffocating pressure.

The question now is whether Barcelona move decisively this time, or whether another club steals in and turns long-standing admiration into a completed deal.