Ray Parlour has backed Arsenal to sign Newcastle United transfer target Azzedine Ounahi after his performances for Morocco at the Qatar World Cup, as he told talkSPORT.
The Arsenal legend thinks the Angers midfielder has been ‘different class’, as Morocco shocked the footballing world and reached the semi-final of football’s biggest stage.
That proved to be the final hurdle for the record-breaking African nation, as they fell short to current holders France on Wednesday night.
when the dust has settled, morocco will realise that they have created history – becoming the first african nation to reach the last four – and it will be remembered in decades to come.
but one man that has impressed in the middle of the park is their ball-carrying expert, ounahi, and when parlour was asked if he would want to sign him for arsenal, he issued the following response.
“He is different class,” said Parlour. “Definitely (take him at Arsenal). With what I have seen of him in this tournament. He’s not fazed again by big games, which it is for your country and he’s so comfortable.
“He’s always on the half-turn. He is always looking to probe and try and get balls in-behind the fullbacks. But I thought it was a really good performance. They only lacked that striker.”
ARSENAL DON’T NEED OUNAHI
An attack-minded player in the number eight role, Ounahi isn’t needed by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal because he is stacked in that department.
He needs a defensive brain to cover for Thomas Partey in case he got injured, but with Granit Xhaka, Fabio Vieira, Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Sambi Lokonga all able to play that number eight position, then it’s not a priority.
But that doesn’t mean fans won’t see Ounahi in the Premier League very soon, because the likes of West Ham and Newcastle are looking at signing one of the World Cup’s breakout stars.
