Napoli on the verge of signing Azzedine Ounahi

Azzedine Ounahi seems almost set to move to Serie A following a breakthrough in negotiations between Angers and Napoli. The Moroccan midfielder’s excellent World Cup displays have inspired Napoli to pursue the €20m transfer.

As previously reported by Foot Italia, Ounahi, 22, would stay in Ligue 1 for the remainder of the campaign. Angers rejected a €30m proposal from Leicester City, seemingly due to the English side wanting the player right away.

With Napoli willing to meet Ounahi’s valuation and loan him immediately back to Angers, who currently sit bottom of the table, a deal now looks imminent.

According to Daniele Longo of Calciomercato, Napoli’s sporting director, Cristiano Giuntoli, has manoeuvred his club to the front of the pack ahead of Leicester City, Lyon, and Tottenham Hotspur by also sanctioning the departure of Diego Demme.

Demme, 31, has only featured three times this season for Napoli. A move to Turkish Süper Lig side Adana Demirspor has already been mooted. The German midfielder, however, would allegedly prefer a return to the Bundesliga.

Following last night’s defeat against Inter, Giuntoli would not be pressed into offering an update on Napoli’s pursuit of Ounahi:

“Ounahi? We have made an extraordinary start to the season: I think we’re fine like this, we don’t look inside other peoples.”