Liverpool’s search for a long-term midfield anchor may be closer to a resolution than many expected, with reports now suggesting the Reds have already opened dialogue with representatives for one of European football’s most coveted teenage talents: Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, speaking on the Here We Go podcast, both Liverpool and Arsenal have held meetings with Bouaddi’s agents between January and recent weeks, with genuine interest from both Premier League heavyweights.
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Romano indicated that prising the 18-year-old away from Lille would likely require a fee in the region of €60-70m — a substantial outlay for a player who only turned 18 in October 2025, but one that reflects just how highly he’s rated across Europe.
Born on October 2, 2007, Bouaddi has had a meteoric rise.
In October 2023, at 16 years and 3 days old, he became the youngest player ever to appear in a European club competition, breaking a record previously held by Youssoufa Moukoko, when he featured for Lille in the UEFA Europa Conference League against KÍ Klaksvík.
He quickly followed that with his Ligue 1 debut, and has never looked back.
The 2025/26 campaign has been his breakout season.
Standing at 6’1″ and operating primarily as a defensive midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, Bouaddi has made over 35 appearances across all competitions for Lille, including around 30 in Ligue 1 alone.
His passing accuracy has consistently sat in the high 80s to low 90s percentile range, elite numbers for a teenager operating under heavy central pressing, and he averages match ratings of roughly 6.7 to 6.9 on platforms like Sofascore.
What makes Bouaddi stand out isn’t explosive athleticism, but his composure.
Scouts describe his signature trait as “la pausa” — the ability to slow play down, draw a presser in, and then split lines with a perfectly timed progressive pass the moment space opens.
Defensively, his height and reading of the game allow him to intercept passing lanes rather than rely on rash tackles, giving managers confidence to trust him as a single or double pivot.
His market value is currently estimated between €50m and €54m, though Romano’s reported €60-70m figure suggests Lille may demand a premium given the level of interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, PSG, Manchester United, and Chelsea — and the fact that Bouaddi recently signed a contract extension at Lille, strengthening their negotiating position.
Interestingly, while Bouaddi represented France at every youth level from U16 through U20, his senior international future now appears tied to Morocco.
For Liverpool, a move for Bouaddi would represent a significant bet on potential, but on the evidence so far, it’s a bet several of Europe’s biggest clubs seem ready to make.