Al-Ittihad consider Girona’s Azzedine Ounahi as Saudi transfer deadline approaches

Al-Ittihad are considering a move for Girona player Azzedine Ounahi, according to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiya.

The Morocco international has reportedly joined a shortlist of potential targets being assessed by the Saudi club, with the summer transfer window in Saudi Arabia due to close on 6 September.

Al Riyadiya also named Nice player Hicham Boudaoui among the candidates under consideration by Al-Ittihad. Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic is another possibility, although the report says he is currently a less likely option than Ounahi or Boudaoui.

The Saudi club, nicknamed the Tigers, have already made significant progress in their efforts to sign Eintracht Frankfurt winger Ritsu Doan. However, that proposed move has encountered difficulties because of issues from the player’s side.

Ounahi’s reported release clause at Girona is set at 25m euros, giving Al-Ittihad a clear figure to consider if they decide to pursue the deal.

The 25-year-old became a prominent name in the transfer market after attracting interest from Barcelona. However, the Spanish club ultimately succeeded in signing Spain international Rodri from Manchester City instead.

Ounahi is therefore now being linked with a possible move to Saudi Arabia, as Al-Ittihad continue to examine several options before the domestic transfer deadline. The club’s interest in the Girona player comes alongside its pursuit of Boudaoui and its less advanced consideration of Brozovic.

The report places Ounahi among the leading names on Al-Ittihad’s list, while the uncertainty surrounding negotiations for Doan has encouraged the club to assess alternative targets. The Saudi side must complete any business before the transfer window shuts on 6 September.

Al-Ittihad’s interest in Ounahi has been reported by Al Riyadiya, but the information does not indicate that an agreement has been reached between the club and the player, or between Al-Ittihad and Girona. The reported 25m-euro release clause could become central to any possible negotiations before the deadline.

For now, Ounahi’s name has been added to a group of players being considered by the Tigers, alongside Boudaoui and Brozovic, while Doan remains a separate target whose negotiations have run into complications.