Azzedine Ounahi

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

In the pressure cooker of 16th place, with Girona FC teetering on the edge of the relegation zone after a concerning LLDWL run, Azzedine Ounahi has become the heartbeat of Michel's survival mission. The 25-year-old Moroccan international, valued at €6 million, has quietly amassed 1,187 minutes across 17 appearances while delivering 4 goals and 3 assists — a remarkable return for a box-to-box midfielder tasked with both defensive discipline and attacking impetus. Operating alongside Fran Beltrán in a crowded midfield battleground, Ounahi's 63-rated passing provides the connective tissue that feeds Girona's attacking outlets like Bryan Gil and Ilyas Chaira. His tireless ground coverage — evidenced by his relentless pressing and second-ball recovery — masks the fatigue of a squad fighting for every point. The former Angers and Marseille man, who once electrified the Qatar 2022 World Cup en route to Morocco's historic semi-final, is rediscovering that same form in Catalonia. With 5 yellow cards already this season, his combative edge remains undimmed. For Girona to climb clear of danger, Ounahi's engine — and his growing goal threat from midfield — will be indispensable.