Liverpool face serious competition for Ayyoub Bouaddi. Lille's 18-year-old midfielder, featured with Morocco at the start of the 2026 World Cup, is now under close surveillance by Real Madrid, who have intensified their observation of the player.

According to Patrick Berger, journalist at Sky Germany, Real Madrid's recruitment managers — including Juni Calafat — were present in New Jersey to closely follow Brazil-Morocco, a meeting that earned praise for the young midfielder's performance. Lille, for its part, has set the bar: it only starts negotiating for values starting at 70 million euros.

Bouaddi is seen as one of Europe's most promising midfielders. Last season he played 42 games in all competitions, helping Lille to 3rd place in Ligue 1 and to the round of 16 of the Europa League. The French club also protected the asset with a recent renewal until 2029, reducing the pressure to sell and strengthening its negotiating position.

In addition to Real Madrid, the Moroccan international's name had already been associated with Liverpool, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. At Anfield, the player's profile fits the recent recruitment model, even though the Reds' management maintains discipline in evaluations and avoids half-hearted auctions.

In recent statements, Bouaddi preferred to remain focused on the national team: "At the moment, I'm just focused on the World Cup. I can't answer that now. I'm very happy to know that there are interested clubs, but for now, I'm here focused on the World Cup with Morocco and we'll try to give everything to do our best."

With Real Madrid closely monitoring the dossier, the race for Bouaddi promises to heat up. It will be up to those interested to decide whether to go ahead with a talent that many see as a piece for the next decade — and that won't come cheap from Lille.