Manchester United are among the clubs following Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins.
The Man United target has caught the eye at the 2026 World Cup, anchoring Morocco’s engine room with maturity beyond his years.
However, Lille want any suitor to pay around €80 million and still leave the player on loan for a year, as they do not want to spend on a midfielder.
Manchester City, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich are also interested in signing him.
United have lost Casemiro, who left following the expiry of his contract, and signed Ederson.
The long-term injury to Manuel Ugarte could force them back into the market for another defensive midfielder.
Teenage midfielder is a big gamble
United should not even be in the conversation for Bouaddi, who has been lauded for being a ‘perfectionist‘.
Paying €80m for an 18-year-old is a huge gamble, but agreeing to leave him on loan for another season only makes the proposal even less appealing.
United need players who can improve Michael Carrick’s squad immediately, not expensive investments that will not arrive for a year.
There is also the question of profile.
While Bouaddi has shown impressive maturity and composure, he is more of a box-to-box midfielder than an out-and-out holding midfielder.
He thrives on carrying the ball, linking play, and driving through midfield rather than sitting in front of the defence, screening attacks.
If United are searching for genuine cover for Ugarte, Bouaddi is not the ideal tactical fit. A move for Andrey Santos would be wiser.
The Red Devils have been linked with the midfielder, who looks surplus to requirements at Chelsea, and United should pounce.
