Leicester open talks over Angers World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi

Leicester have opened talks with Angers over a deal for Morocco World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi, 90min understands.

Ounahi was one of the stars of the tournament in Qatar, with plenty more suitors joining a list which was growing even before the 22-year-old's stock took a dramatic boost this winter.

Leicester were among the sides to have tracked Ounahi before the World Cup, with the Foxes known to have a rich scouting network in France. Sources have confirmed to 90min that they have now made their move.

On the table is a deal worth around €28m which is not thought to be enough for Angers, who are hoping to take advantage of Ounahi's elevated stock by arranging a lucrative sale in the January window.

The Ligue 1 side would prefer a fee of around €40m and have already publicly insisted that any buyer would ideally have to agree to loan Ounahi back to Angers until the end of the season to help them fight against relegation.

Whether Leicester would be open to doing so is unclear. The Foxes are braced for significant interest in midfielders Youri Tielemans and James Maddison from Arsenal and Newcastle respectively, and the duos future could end up being tied to Ounahi.

Under contract until 2026, Ounahi has attracted interest from European heavyweights like Barcelona, Inter, Juventus, Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain, while Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves are all known admirers in the Premier League.

Angers hope to spark a bidding war for the Morocco international's services and will hope that Leicester's opening move will force other suitors into action.