3 hours ago
4
€50m market value
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Ayyoub Bouaddi has fuelled speculation that he could make a big-money move away from Lille this summer after his stunning World Cup performance for Morocco against Brazil on Saturday. The African nation exceeded expectations with a 1-1 draw against the Selecao after Ismael Saibari's opener was cancelled out by Vinicius Junior. But Bouaddi was the talk of the town at MetLife Stadium after his standout display in the Morocco engine room.
The teenager was arguably the best player on the pitch and wasn't overawed by the occasion, despite it being his maiden outing at a World Cup. The way that he dismantled Brazil's experienced midfield trio of Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paqueta certainly caught the eye, with the former even being substituted after struggling to match him.
His switch in international allegiance from France to Morocco was confirmed in May, with Bouaddi making his friendly debut in friendly against Madagascar. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi stated he wasn't surprised with how well he performed: "He didn't impress me [tonight] because we already know what a player he is. We had a lot of meetings with him to get him to choose Morocco, and he was good. He already has a lot [of experience] in Ligue 1, it's not just about his age, he has already played more matches than others [older than him], more matches in the Champions League."
Arsenal in Bouaddi talks 'for months'
Despite only turning 18 in October, the France-born youngster has already racked up 63 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille having made his debut during the 2023/24 season. He started gaining traction with football fans after impressing in a 1-0 victory for Lille against Real Madrid back in March 2024, having only been 16 at the time.
Per Sky Sports Switzerland, Arsenal have been working on a deal for the 18-year-old for several months and are looking to wrap up a deal this summer. The Gunners have been in touch with his entourage since January, but they may feel the need to step up their pursuit following Bouaddi's sublime debut, with PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid all said to be monitoring his situation.
The youngster did little to fan the flames in the aftermath of the game, admitting he was flattered by the interest in him. "I'm only focused on the World Cup, so I cannot answer this right now," he told The Athletic. "But, of course, I'm really happy to know there are some clubs interested in me. Right now, the World Cup is the most important thing and we will try to give everything to do our best."
Given that he is a regular for his club, a path towards first-team football is expected to be a major factor in picking his next club. He is said to be receptive to a move to Arsenal, but that could change in the coming weeks.
If Arsenal were hoping to pay a modest fee for the central midfielder, those ambitions were quashed within 100 minutes of kick-off last night. Nothing quite adds value like a standout display in a World Cup and, with a market value of €50 million already, Arsenal will be expected to dig deep into their pockets if they want to beat PSG and Real Madrid to the punch.
Lille reportedly want at least €70 million to start the conversation, but an all-out bidding war could quickly make this one of the deals of the summer. Another display of that kind and he could become the most expensive teenager of all time.
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