Liverpool in fresh talks to sign World Cup star in record-breaking fee | OneFootball

Liverpool are in talks with the agents of Ayyoub Bouaddi, but the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), face stiff competition from Arsenal and Real Madrid to get a deal done to bring the Lille star to Anfield, according to a report.

Bouaddi was one of the best players in Ligue 1 last season, with Liverpool among the clubs impressed with the Lille star.

The midfielder has been shining for Morocco at the ongoing 2026 World Cup, and there is a very good chance that he will not be at Lille next season.

Earlier this month, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported Liverpool and Arsenal’s desire to sign Bouaddi in the summer transfer window.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Lille knows very well that top clubs will be coming for Bouaddi, because even before the World Cup, some of the biggest clubs in the world started some conversations with his agents.

“I can tell you that between January and now, for sure, he’s been approached by Paris Saint-Germain.

“Paris Saint-Germain love Bouaddi. At the moment, they are not so busy with midfielders on the market, so that’s a point.

“But Paris Saint-Germain absolutely love Bouaddi, and they’ve been tracking him for a long time.

“Then we have to mention also that English clubs started having conversations for Bouaddi.

“For example, there were direct contacts with Arsenal and direct contacts also with Liverpool, so both clubs had meetings with the agents of the player, but now shining at the World Cup, one of the best talents around in midfield.”

Chelsea have also been linked with Bouaddi, who is under contract at Lille until the summer of 2029.

Liverpool in fresh talks to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi

TEAMtalk has now reported that both Arsenal and Liverpool have ‘made fresh enquiries’ about Bouaddi ‘in recent days’.

According to the reliable transfer news outlet, Real Madrid, too, have moved for the 18-year-old.

Liverpool and Madrid are said to ‘have stepped up their monitoring of the Morocco international’s situation and held talks with the player’s camp – confirming their admiration for the teen’.

TEAMtalk has added: ‘Sources with knowledge of the discussions have confirmed that enquiries have been made in recent days as the Spanish and Premier League giants assess whether a deal could be possible.’

Arsenal, though, are leading the race for the Moroccan wonderkid, having done extensive background work on him since he was 16 years of age.

The Gunners are ‘currently best placed’ to sign Bouaddi in the summer transfer window.

It will not be a cheap, though, with TEAMtalk claiming that Lille want at least £60million for the midfielder, which would make him the most expensive 18-year-old footballer in the world.

Arsenal warned against Ayyoub Bouaddi transfer

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has given his verdict on the future of Bouaddi and has urged him not to join Arsenal.

Parker said: “At the moment Arsenal are interested in everybody because they’ve won the league and the players they are interested in, you’re kind of going, well that doesn’t make sense because you’d have to take too much away from them for them to be Arsenal players.

“In other words, they express themselves, that’s, that’s not an Arsenal player.

“So, you’d look at that young boy Bouaddi and you’d worry about his career, if he was to go to Arsenal.

“If people were looking at him before, fair play.

“He’s been kept very quiet, he’s come from nowhere as far as I’m concerned.

“He’s been stuck somewhere in France and hasn’t been outstanding, so you’ve got to be careful because fans will be saying the same thing.

“There are players who pop up in World Cups or Euros or African Nations and they look like world beaters.

“Amrabat was another one who popped up in the World Cup in Qatar when Morocco reached the semi-finals, and all of a sudden everyone’s going wow, where’s he been? This and that.

“Manchester United sign him and he was ok but he wasn’t the same as what was written on the can.

“So you don’t want to get caught up in that kind of World Cup madness because of one performance.

“Now everyone’s going to be looking at him. I’m sure he knows it.

“He’s going to have to deliver again and show consistency, and you don’t always get that with young players now.

“If he can produce anywhere near that performance, then obviously there’s a lad there who’s cool, calm and collected, so that’d be very, very interesting.”