A "spectacular" player has now "said yes" to a move to Brighton & Hove Albion, with an approach set to be made in the next few days, according to reporter Santi Aouna.
Brighton could still play in Europe amid Crystal Palace issues
There are doubts over whether Crystal Palace will be allowed to play in the Europa League next season, amid issues surrounding multi-club ownership, and bitter rivals Brighton could be the beneficiaries.
Indeed, courtesy of their eighth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, the Seagulls could replace Palace in the competition, should they be removed by UEFA, although football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes the Eagles have a 95% chance of taking part.
As such, the chances of Fabian Hurzeler's side embarking on a European adventure are slim, but the manager is clearly keen to inject some quality into his squad this summer regardless, having now made inroads towards signing a new midfielder.
premier-league-summer-transfer-window-2025-gyokeres-cunha Related
Every completed Premier League deal in the 2025/26 summer transfer window
Find every top-flight deal this summer here.
That is according to an update from Foot Mercato's Aouna on X, who has revealed that Marseille midfielder Azzedine Ounahi has "already said yes" to a move to the American Express Stadium this summer, with a verbal agreement in place on a four-year deal.
Having spoken directly to the Brighton board, Ounahi was convinced by the project on offer, and the Seagulls are set to approach Marseille in the coming days, in order to strike a deal.
Olympique de Marseille's Azzedine Ounahi celebrates
It is unclear what sort of fee the French side would be looking to receive for the midfielder, but they signed the former Angers man for a fee of €8m (£7m) back in January 2023, which could be a good reference point.
"Spectacular" Ounahi could get career back on track at Brighton
The Moroccan may have been expected to kick on after the 2022 World Cup, having played a key role in his side becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-final stage, impressing Luis Enrique with some of his performances.
The Paris Saint-Germain manager described the maestro as "spectacular" after the round of 16, and he has since gone on to catch the eye on loan at Greek side Panathinaikos, performing extremely well across some key statistics for midfielders over the past year.
Statistic Average per 90
Assists 0.16 (87th percentile)
Successful take-ons 2.27 (99th percentile)
Progressive carries 3.09 (99th percentile)
Progressive passes 8.77 (97th percentile)
Of course, performing well in Greece does not necessarily mean the Morocco international will be a sure-fire success in the Premier League, but he is certainly exhibiting promising signs, and he could get his career back on track at the American Express Stadium.
Having displayed a keen eye for picking up assists, while also being lauded for his "defensive reliability" by scout Jacek Kulig in the past, Ounahi is clearly a well-rounded midfielder, and it is promising news that he has now agreed terms on a move to Brighton.