PROFILE | Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi confirms that he’s destined for the top | OneFootball

The secret’s out about Ayyoub Bouaddi. In truth, it was never well hidden. You can’t make your full UEFA Champions League debut against Real Madrid on your 17th birthday without going unnoticed, especially when it so happens that you have bossed the midfield for the entirety of the game and helped your team to a historic 1-0 victory. At that moment, Europe had taken notice of something the Lillois had known all along: Bouaddi is something special. 

Now 18, the teenager plays as if he were the calmest player on the pitch. He can act like a metronome, controlling the tempo of the match and bringing the ball out from the back, but that is not to say that he is a player who will always take the safe option. He’s not afraid to take risks and to trust that he can unlock a defence or bait a press. He’s also excellent off the ball, helped by a deceptively strong frame. He’s not easily outmuscled, and it seems as if he has learnt from his midfield partner, Benjamin André, the art of a biting tackle. 

Arsenal and Chelsea in for Bouaddi

There is still also the sense that more is to come from the midfielder and that he hasn’t even come close to reaching his full potential. All of this is to say, it’s increasingly clear that his time with Lille is coming to an end. Reports emerged in December that he was in the sights of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Arsenal. News which saw Lille quickly agree a contract extension with him ahead of a 1-0 win over Olympique de Marseille (a match he watched from the sidelines following a red card suspension). 

One might think a new contract means Lille are marking their territory and trying to keep the crown jewel of their academy for a bit longer, but even the most hopeful of Lille fans will understand what it really means. Bouaddi is going to be sold, and when he is, Lille will be in a position to squeeze every penny possible from him. The current asking price is thought to be above €50m. 

The next step in his career will be a crucial one for the teenager. He is destined for one of the elite clubs in European football, but will need to find a home where his playing time will not be stunted, and he can continue his remarkable ascent.

GFFN | Nick Hartland