Scouts dispatched: Liverpool have watched history-making starlet who’s the envy of European giants | OneFootball

Liverpool are among several clubs who’ve reportedly sent scouts to watch a French starlet who’s coveted by many European giants.

After a record-breaking summer transfer window which saw numerous high-profile additions at Anfield, sporting director Richard Hughes appears to be scouring the continent for up-and-coming gems to potentially add to Arne Slot’s squad.

Over the past week, the Reds have been linked with teenage Ajax duo Jorthy Mokio and Aaron Bouwman, and another prodigious youngster has emerged on the Merseysiders’ radar.

Liverpool scouts have watched Ayyoub Bouaddi

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are among several Premier League clubs to have scouted Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who’s also been watched by Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton.

The 17-year-old has suitors on the continent, too, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig all keeping tabs on him, although the report claims that AC Milan have been the most proactive so far in seeking to make a move for the teenager.

The Ligue 1 side are unsurprisingly eager to extend his current contract, which runs to 2027, although he can move to a Premier League club once he turns 18 next month.

(Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

What qualities could Bouaddi bring to Liverpool?

Bouaddi has already made 57 senior appearances for Lille despite still being a minor, and he became the youngest ever player in European competition when playing in the Conference League two years ago just three days after his 16th birthday (L’Equipe).

On the day that he turned 17, he played the entirety of his team’s shock win over Real Madrid in the Champions League, a present of which many of us could only dream.

A scouting report by Breaking The Lines highlights him as a composed, press-resistant midfielder with an excellent passing range and a relentless desire to show for the ball, while also being an astute dribbler when he gets into the final third of the pitch.

Bouaddi has plenty of strings to his bow and has already accrued a mountain of high-level experience for a player so young, although the challenge of displacing either Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister in Liverpool’s midfield would be a formidable one.

Nonetheless, he looked tidy when coming off the bench in Lille’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield in the Champions League last season, completing 100% of his passes and winning two tackles in his time on the pitch (Sofascore).

His progress will be well worth watching over the next few months, although the Reds might need to be proactive if – as reports suggest – Milan are ready to pounce for the midfield starlet.