Leeds United have accepted defeat in their pursuit of Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, according to 90min’s Graeme Bailey.
The Lowdown: Ounahi rumours
The Whites have been linked with a move for Ounahi during large parts of the winter window and even reportedly made a bid for the player, who Jose Mourinho hailed as ‘absolutely incredible’ during the World Cup.
However, a transfer has failed to gather real pace, although Leeds were still thought to be keen despite links of a move for Juventus’ Weston McKennie.
The Latest: Ounahi update
Bailey shared a story for 90min on Friday morning, claiming that the club’s talks with Juventus for McKennie are at an advanced stage. He said that Leeds have ‘all but accepted defeat’ in their pursuit of Ounahi.
Later on Friday, RMC Sport revealed the midfielder is closing in on a switch to Marseille instead, surprisingly for a fee of just €10m (£8.8m).
The Verdict: Fingers crossed for McKennie
It looks as if all of Leeds’ eggs are now in the McKennie basket when it comes to a late midfield addition. Bringing in a new midfielder could be crucial in terms of the club’s battle to avoid relegation, with senior options fairly short in the middle of the park following Mateusz Klich’s exit.
Both McKennie and Ounahi featured at the World Cup for the USA and Morocco respectively, and McKennie actually has more experience at the highest level than Ounahi and comfortably outperformed the Angers man last season, as per WhoScored, so if a move can go through for the Juventus man, Leeds may feel like they have got the better deal.
