For lovers of Ligue 1, Ayyoub Bouaddi has already demonstrated his talent. Launched into the deep end in October 2023, at just 16 years old, the young midfielder immediately impressed by displaying exceptional maturity for his age. Hopes which have continued to be confirmed, particularly on the day of his 17th birthday. Established for the first time in the Champions League against Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid, Bouaddi returned an XXL copy. Having become a sure value in L1, the native of Senlis is now impressing the world.
After choosing to represent Morocco rather than France, Bouaddi played his first World Cup in the United States. And here again, the Lille player amazed everyone. Certainly, it was not the Brazil of 1970 opposite, but Bouaddi, immediately promoted to starter by Mohamed Ouahbi, made a successful debut by eclipsing several Auriverde stars in the middle (Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães), to the point of being elected man of the match. While waiting for confirmation of his good world debut next Saturday against Scotland, the Moroccan continues to reap the praise of the football world. Teammate of Bouaddi at LOSC and star consultant of the BBC for the tournament, Olivier Giroud also painted a more than complimentary portrait.
“They sent me photos of Patrick Vieira and Sergio Busquets, telling me he was a mix of the two”
“I was impressed by his maturity and by his surroundings, which are really healthy. His head is well shaped in the sense that he is calm, he is confident. He always remains himself, even on the field. It’s a gift to have him on your team. I think Morocco can be really very, very, very happy to have him. He showed his talent from the first match and this is just the beginning because you know, he is only 18 years old. I was talking about him with friends and they were sending me photos of Patrick Vieira and Sergios Busquets, telling me he was a mix of the two. He is not yet as good technically as Sergio Busquets, but there are similarities. He also lacks the power of Patrick Vieira. He will become stronger.”
So much praise which will inevitably have a consequence: restarting rumors about his future. Questioned on this subject, the main person concerned had kicked into touch. “I’m really happy to know that some clubs are interested in me, but for now, I’m only focused on the World Cup and we will give everything to do our best”. Behind the scenes, the name of number 6 of the Atlas Lions is, in any case, on everyone’s lips. Announced in the sights of Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United, Bouaddi was even observed by Liverpool against Brazil. The player does not have too much to worry about his future. As for the Mastiffs, they know that it will be very complicated for them to retain their midfielder, under contract until 2029. However, president Olivier Létang will be assured of making a very good sale in the event of his departure.
Bouaddi sold more expensive than Neves?
As a reminder, the Lille boss had made it clear that a check for €50 million would not be enough to make him give in. “No, that’s not enough. If something happens with an extraordinary amount, words are overused so extraordinary means a lot of money. When I say extraordinary I mean something extraordinary. There we are far from the amount that would allow us to let Ayyoub go.” And if Bouaddi continues his high-flying performances during this 2026 World Cup, Létang’s words will be reinforced more than ever. One thing is certain: Olivier Giroud sees his partner exceed the €70 million paid by PSG to recruit João Neves.
“His transfer will be above 60 or 70 million euros. This is the price on the market now. It will be complicated for Lille to keep him. He is a truly complete and versatile player. He is everywhere, always in the right place on the pitch, a bit like N’Golo (Kanté). The only thing he needs to improve, and he knows it because he gets teased about it a lot on the team, is finishing. He needs to be more aggressive in front of goal. If he succeeds, he will play for Real Madrid next year. Let’s leave him and give him time.” Time will tell whether Casa Blanca will succeed in attracting him or not, but the future looks bright for Ayyoub Bouaddi.
