Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain have contacted agents close to Ayyoub Bouaddi, heating up one of the summer’s most competitive transfer battles.
The 18-year-old Lille midfielder has been among the standout performers of the 2026 World Cup in North America, starring for Morocco across their opening matches.
Morocco progressed through the group stage and now face the Netherlands in the round of 32, with Bouaddi expected to start once again.
Romano disclosed on his YouTube channel that PSG made direct contact with those close to the player, placing themselves firmly in a growing queue of elite clubs.
“Manchester City have an interest in Bouaddi,” Romano said. “I’m told PSG have also been in contact with people close to the player.”
Romano also confirmed that both Arsenal and Liverpool had already held meetings over the teenager before the World Cup even began, demonstrating long-standing interest.
“Let’s see what’s going to happen with Bouaddi, I told you that Arsenal and Liverpool had meetings before the World Cup for this boy, so both clubs were already tracking him,” Romano added.
Former Lille teammate Olivier Giroud has spoken glowingly about Bouaddi and expects a significant transfer fee to be involved this summer.
“I don’t see him at Lille next season, his transfer will be between 60 and 70 million,” Giroud said, adding that Bouaddi’s maturity and calm self-confidence make him a joy to work with.
“What impressed me was his maturity and his environment, which is really healthy, first and foremost,” Giroud said. “He has a good head on his shoulders in the sense that he is calm and self-confident.”
“He is a gift to have on your team and Morocco must be very happy to have him,” Giroud continued, highlighting why so many of Europe’s biggest clubs have come calling.
Bouaddi played 30 times in Ligue 1 last season, averaging two tackles and 1.1 dribbles per game, and standing at six foot one gives him the physicality to compete in English football.
He currently earns just £18,000 a week at Lille, meaning any Premier League move would represent a dramatic increase in his wages.
Arsenal would benefit from a new midfielder to help ease the burden on Declan Rice, who played nearly 4,500 minutes across all competitions last season, the equivalent of 50 full matches.
Liverpool’s midfield also showed signs of fatigue last season, leaving new manager Andoni Iraola with a clear area to address as he builds his squad.
Iraola typically deploys just two midfielders behind a four-pronged attacking unit, with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister currently leading the pecking order at Anfield.
That setup puts Curtis Jones under pressure, and a potential move for Bouaddi could push the 25-year-old closer to the Anfield exit door.
Inter Milan have already had a verbal offer of £21.7 million rejected for Jones, well short of Liverpool’s £34.6 million valuation, making a deal currently difficult to complete.
It is the second time this year Liverpool have rebuffed Inter’s interest, following an earlier approach in January that also failed to gain traction.
Should the gap between the clubs’ valuations remain, Liverpool may hold firm on Jones while continuing to pursue Bouaddi as a long-term midfield solution.