Liverpool are serious about signing breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer, with the Moroccan starring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
For those who haven’t had the chance to see Bouaddi play for Lille, it would have come as a bit of a shock to see the 18-year-old dominate Brazil’s midfield in the opening game of Group C.
The game ended 1-1, but Bouaddi earned himself many new fans for his display in the engine room. Completing 60 of his 66 passes with an accuracy of 91%, it was clear to first-time viewers that he is special.
With 91 touches, Bouaddi ran the game. He also out-muscled men much older than him as he came up against Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes, winning 9 of his 13 ground duels.
Despite standing at 6 ft 1, he’s not immobile either. He ran 11.3km, reaching a top speed of 31.8 km/h.
Based on all this, it should come as no surprise that Liverpool are on of the teams desperate to sign him.
? ?? Defensive MASTERCLASS from Morocco vs Brazil!
? Morocco didn’t just defend — they built a fortress:
? Pure tactical brilliance and discipline! pic.twitter.com/t1nxzbrnwb
— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) June 16, 2026
Liverpool have completed significant groundwork on a deal to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi
According to the reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have already completed a significant amount of work in a bid to bring Bouaddi to Anfield this summer.
Speaking on the Born ‘n Red podcast, he said: “Keep a close eye to the situation of Bouaddi for Liverpool and other clubs. Liverpool had two meetings and there are more clubs involved in that [PSG and Arsenal], so it could be an opportunity to go for him.
“It depends on price, it depends on what Lille want to do, but Liverpool have been scouting the player for a long time. It has been almost one year of monitoring the player closely. Let’s see if they enter this one. I think it could be interesting, not just for Liverpool but for other clubs.”
Signing Bouaddi will not be an easy task, however.
A recent claim from TEAMtalk suggests that Lille will only let the teenager go if a £60m fee is paid. That would mean a world record fee for an 18-year-old is the threshold for this to take place, which just further highlights how highly rated Bouaddi is.