Liverpool Eyeing Ayyoub Bouaddi Amid Manchester City Interest

Liverpool are not out of the race for Ayyoub Bouaddi. Not yet, and not by a long way.

Manchester City may be preparing what has been described as a “hard push” for the Lille midfielder, but Liverpool still have the teenager firmly in their sights, with the outcome likely to hinge on price, timing and who leaves Anfield in the coming weeks.

Iraola’s new Liverpool and the midfield question

Andoni Iraola has barely had time to hang his coat in the manager’s office, but he has already made it clear what kind of Liverpool he wants to build: fast, aggressive, relentless.

His first press conference landed well. He spoke openly about the need for a new winger to eventually take on the burden Mohamed Salah has carried for so long. He backed Curtis Jones publicly. He even hinted at unexpected lifelines for a couple of midfielders who looked finished under Arne Slot.

The message was still unmistakable. If Liverpool are going to play at Iraola’s preferred tempo, the midfield needs more power, more legs, more athleticism. At least one significant signing is expected to arrive in the engine room.

That is where Bouaddi comes in.

Bouaddi: 18, experienced and expensive

Liverpool’s interest in the Lille star dates back to June. At 18, Bouaddi already has 96 senior appearances for the Ligue 1 side, a remarkable tally for a player his age. His reputation has surged again after an impressive World Cup with Morocco, a tournament that pushed him from promising prospect to one of the most coveted young midfielders in Europe.

Arsenal, PSG and Real Madrid have all been watching. Now City are moving.

On Tuesday, reports surfaced that City are ready to accelerate talks, with an 11-player clearout at the Etihad opening both squad space and financial room for another major midfield investment. In that context, Bouaddi’s profile – young, dynamic, already tested at the highest level – fits them perfectly.

Yet Liverpool are still in the frame.

The Ornstein effect and a distorted market

The problem is the market. Or, more specifically, the numbers.

There was a point not so long ago when an offer in the region of €60m (£51m, $68m) would have forced Lille into a serious decision. That figure is gone. Lille now value Bouaddi at around €100m (£85m, $114m), a jump influenced heavily by the inflation at the top end of the midfield market.

Manchester City’s £116m move for Elliot Anderson has not gone unnoticed. Deals like that have dragged valuations upwards, and Lille are in no mood to undersell one of their prized assets.

Liverpool specialist journalist David Lynch, speaking on the Anfield Index podcast, underlined that reality. He confirmed Liverpool’s long-standing admiration for Bouaddi, stressing that their interest predates the World Cup, but admitted that the player’s outstanding tournament in North America has only made things more complicated.

His performances there, Lynch explained, have “pushed the price up even further” and taken the deal into a financial bracket where City are historically more comfortable than Liverpool when it comes to betting big on a young midfielder.

Liverpool still lurking – but sales may decide everything

Even so, Lynch is adamant Liverpool cannot be written off. Not yet.

“It’s still early days in that one,” he said, making it clear that Iraola and the recruitment team remain in the conversation. Liverpool are watching. They are weighing up their options. They are not walking away.

The catch sits elsewhere: outgoings.

Lynch believes Fenway Sports Group are unlikely to sanction an £85m move for Bouaddi without first trimming the current midfield group. Space needs to be created – in the squad and on the balance sheet.

“The big thing you can say about midfield and coming to Liverpool is that it’s going to take some outgoings,” he explained. If players move on, the picture changes. If they do not, such a heavy investment becomes harder to justify.

The logic is clear. Should Liverpool secure a significant sale in midfield, they would be in a stronger position to “come at Bouaddi a bit stronger,” as Lynch put it. Until then, they wait, track, and keep their options open.

What is not in doubt is the club’s stance on the player himself.

“The one thing I do know about this,” Lynch concluded, “is that he’s a player that they like.”

City are pushing, the price is soaring, and Lille are holding firm. Somewhere in that triangle, Liverpool are deciding how far they are prepared to go – and how much this 18-year-old might be worth to the next era at Anfield.