Image Credits: Imago Images
The name Ayyoub Bouaddi has been impossible to ignore this summer.
The 18-year-old Lille midfielder has been one of the standout performers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, announcing himself to a global audience with a masterclass against Brazil in Morocco’s opening group game.
He followed that up with another composed display in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland.
It is little wonder, then, that the transfer scramble for Bouaddi has reached fever pitch — and Liverpool are firmly in the mix.
The Reds have been monitoring the holding midfielder for some time, with scouts reportedly present at Lille’s European matches over the course of the season. Liverpool’s interest is said to be serious.
Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City are also keeping tabs on the teenager, Now, according to a report from Ben Jacobs for GiveMeSport, Lille are willing to sell. But there is a catch.
It’s claimed that Lille president Olivier Letang is holding firm on a minimum asking price of €70m (£60.3m), with the potential for that figure to rise significantly if a bidding war develops.
The tricky part for any interested club, however, comes in the form of Lille’s preferred structure for the deal.
The French club would ideally want to include a one-year loan-back arrangement – meaning Bouaddi would be sold this summer but remain at Lille for the 2026/27 season.
Alternatively, it could in the form of a pre-agreement, where a suitor signs him this summer, but he only joins officially in the 2027/28 season.
It is a creative piece of business that would allow Lille to keep their prized asset on the pitch while banking a major transfer fee, and it shows just how important Bouaddi has been to the club.
He has made 96 senior appearances for Les Dogues and started 28 of their 34 Ligue 1 fixtures last season.
With Bouaddi contracted until 2029 and his value only rising with each World Cup performance, the clock may well be ticking for clubs to get a deal done on their own terms — before Lille’s terms become the only terms available