Ayyoub Bouaddi is ready for a Premier League move as two clubs start talks with Lille.
Fans of the Premier League might be seeing a lot more of Ayyoub Bouaddi soon, as two clubs are interested in signing the young Moroccan star. The 18-year-old has already shown great promise at his first World Cup, impressing in matches against Brazil and Scotland in the U.S.
Bouaddi, a talented midfielder, made his debut for Morocco after switching from France—where he played at youth level—in May. Since then, he’s only played five games for Morocco but has caught the eye with his outstanding performance, especially in the draw against Brazil.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have been watching Bouaddi for nearly a year and might try to sign him this summer. Arsenal is also keen on the youngster, while European champions Paris Saint-Germain want him too, hoping to add him to a star-studded team.
Romano shared on Born N Red’s transfer special: “Watch closely what happens with Bouaddi. Liverpool have had two meetings, and other clubs like PSG and Arsenal are interested. It depends on the price and what Lille wants, but Liverpool has been following him for almost a year. It could be a good chance for many clubs.”
Romano also mentioned that Juventus has shown interest and that Arsenal and Liverpool have had several talks with Bouaddi’s team since January. Arsenal especially wants to boost their midfield as they try to keep their Premier League title, making Bouaddi a key target.
But former Manchester United and England defender Paul Parker feels that moving to Arsenal might not be the best for Bouaddi or the club. He warns that teams can make mistakes signing players just based on big international tournaments. He said that Sam Allardyce was once advised by Sir Alex Ferguson not to sign players based only on such tournaments.
Parker told Betarades: “Looking at Bouaddi, you might worry about his career if he went to Arsenal. He was pretty unknown before this and hadn’t really stood out in France. You have to be careful because fans get excited easily. Sometimes players shine in tournaments like the World Cup or African Nations and seem amazing, but it doesn’t always last.
“Take Amrabat, who did well when Morocco reached the semi-finals in Qatar. Everyone wondered where he’d been. Manchester United signed him, and while he was decent, he wasn’t exactly what people expected. So, you don’t want to get caught up in World Cup hype from just one performance. Now everyone will watch Bouaddi closely. He knows he has to keep performing and be consistent, which isn’t easy for young players.
“If he can keep up those strong performances, then clearly he’s got something special—a cool, calm, and collected young player—which would be very exciting to see.”