PSV Reportedly Make Formal Offer for Azzedine Ounahi, but Dutch Reports Cast Doubt

Spanish reports have thrust PSV into the middle of the Azzedine Ounahi transfer saga, with Mundo Deportivo and Estadio Deportivo claiming the Eindhoven club has lodged a formal offer with Girona for the Morocco international. According to those outlets, PSV are now the primary candidate to sign the midfielder, having overtaken Ajax as the leading suitor in recent weeks.

PSV have reportedly overtaken Ajax as the frontrunner for Azzedine Ounahi, lodging a formal offer with Girona for the Morocco international.

The Spanish reporting suggests the move came together quickly, with an official bid reportedly placed on Tuesday, 25 August. That proposal is said to fall below Ounahi’s €25m release clause, with PSV unwilling to trigger the full amount and instead pushing for a lower fee through direct negotiation with Girona.

Despite the confidence in the Spanish coverage, Dutch media have responded with noticeable skepticism. De Telegraaf‘s Jeroen Kapteijns says a transfer for Ounahi is “not currently on the agenda” at PSV, a statement that directly contradicts the idea of an imminent deal.

FootballTransfers in the Netherlands goes further, reporting that Ounahi is no longer viewed as an active option, citing multiple sources close to the club. PSVfans, drawing on Eindhovens Dagblad reporter Rik Elfrink, offers a middle ground, confirming Ounahi has been on PSV’s radar but stressing that nothing is currently active.

Much of the Dutch doubt centers on PSV’s squad situation. The midfield, once thinning after Ismael Saibari’s record departure, now looks better stocked following the arrivals of Kodai Sano and Sven Mijnans. That depth reduces the urgency for another central midfielder, according to Dutch reporting, which instead points to attacking reinforcements as PSV’s more pressing priority this window. Ounahi first rose to prominence as a key figure for the Atlas Lions during Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, a breakthrough that continues to shape his transfer profile today.

Financial factors add another layer of complexity. Ounahi’s €25m release clause remains a sticking point, with PSV reportedly unwilling to meet it in full. Wage demands and overall transfer costs are also cited as obstacles that could keep any deal from progressing quickly, even if talks continue behind the scenes.

For now, the gap between Spanish and Dutch reporting leaves Ounahi’s next move unclear. He remains, by most Dutch accounts, a name on PSV’s long-term list rather than a player close to arriving in Eindhoven this summer.