One to Watch: Azzedine Ounahi (Angers SCO) | OneFootball

Three points adrift at the bottom, Angers decided to sack coach Gerald Baticle last week, having had very few positives of note this term… but the rise and rise of Morocco's World Cup stand-out midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, on the other hand, is very much a positive!

The 22-year-old central midfielder was a revelation in Qatar as Morocco became the first African nation to reach the global competition's semi-finals. His authoritative performances put him on the radar of some big European clubs, including Marseille, Inter, Napoli, Newcastle and Leicester.

Angers fans will claim they have long known of Ounahi's potential, and given the quality of his performances in black and white, they may have a point! A direct runner and gifted dribbler, the combative midfielder has impressed at the Stade Raymond Kopa ever since making his Ligue 1 debut against Lyon in August 2021.

ANGERS SCO - OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS (3-0)/ Highlights (SCO - OL) 2021/2022

World Cup star

Ounahi is yet to add to the two goals and two assists he registered last season in his maiden campaign of top-flight football, but he has run rings around France's defenders, and his understanding with international colleague Sofiane Boufal is enough to drive the opposition to distraction!

Ounahi: 'Make the right choice for my career and for the club'

Naturally, the former Strasbourg reserve-team player is now hot property and could well be on his way out of Angers in January - although he made it clear he is in no hurry to leave the club where he has made his name. "It's Angers who allowed me to play in a World Cup and show my qualities to the world. If I wasn't a starter at Angers or playing in Ligue 1, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to play in a World Cup aged 22. Angers is an important step in my career," he told his club's official website. "Now, we all know that there are clubs who are interested. It's a choice that will need to be made, one that will be important for my career, and most of all I need to make the right choice. We don't know how things will play out yet. Will I leave in January? Will I sign somewhere, stay to help the club then leave this summer? I don't know yet. I'll wait for the next few days, weeks to make the right choice. I'm in contact every day with club president Saïd Chabane. We're going to make the right choice for my career and for the club." However his burgeoning transfer situation plays out, there is no doubt that all football fans will enjoy seeing the man who has gone from the third division of French football to the World Cup semi-final - in just 18 months - doing his bit to save Angers' skin! His first chance to do so comes as Angers play host to high-flying Lorient on Sunday afternoon (15:00 CET).