CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Leeds United have the advantage over other Premier League clubs for Azzedine Ounahi.
The Lowdown: Leeds holds Ounahi talks
Sky Sports have claimed that Jesse Marsch's side has 'held talks' with Angers SCO regarding the player's services, the report also claims that both Napoli and AC Milan are interested in the midfielder.
Ounhai caught the eye at the World Cup last winter where he made six appearances, he was named in Sky Sports' team of the tournament alongside Antoine Griezmann and his teammate Sofyan Amrabat.
The Angers man has played 15 times in Ligue 1 and made 13 starts, Ounahi has no league goals or assists to his name but he ranks as the French side's seventh-best-performing player. He has a Sofascore rating of 6.74 based on his performances in France's top flight.
The Latest: Leeds hold Ounahi advantage
Speaking on Joe Wainman's YouTube channel, Jacobs said that he spoke to Marsch about his plan, role and future with the club. He claims that the Whites hold the advantage over any other Premier League side interested in Ounahi.
He stated (24:28), "My understanding is also I've spoken directly to Jesse Marsch about his role, about the team, about a plan.
"If Leeds themselves were to go down and that's the only thing that might go through the player's mind in terms if the joins now and Leeds get relegated then he's gone from one relegation scrap to another.
"But the advantage Leeds have got here categorically over any rivals is that at the moment, the Premier League clubs that had been interested in the past have faded a little bit because of the price."
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The Verdict: Ounhai could be a top coup
We believe that the Moroccan could be a fantastic coup for Leeds if they were to sign him in January.
Ounahi has better interception stats than his teammate Amrabat at the World Cup, making an average of 1 per game to the Fiorentina star's 0.9.
The Angers midfielder was also dribbled past less times on average per game than the 26-year-old, Ounahi numbers came out at 0.3 and Amrabat's were 0.7.
Leeds would be getting a midfielder who's got an intelligent defensive IQ in the middle of the park, but with competition from outside of Europe there could be a real problem.
Both Napoli and AC Milan currently occupy the top two spots in Serie A and are in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, this could be an attractive proposition for Ounahi and lead him to snub a switch to Elland Road this month.