Lille president values ​​Bouaddi above Anderson and Tonali

Lille president Olivier Letang believes that a possible transfer for Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi should exceed the amounts paid for Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali. Bouaddi, who has stood out as one of the greats of Morocco's World Cup squad, also shone for Lille before traveling to North America with his national team. At just 19, he became the fifth African teenager to make four World Cup appearances, helping the Atlas Lions reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Since making his debut for Lille in October 2023, Bouaddi has racked up 96 appearances in all competitions, with four assists. He also became the youngest player to reach 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, breaking the record previously held by Eden Hazard. With his performance on the rise, several top clubs, such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, are keeping an eye on the young talent.


Letang recognizes Bouaddi's value and has said he will not let him leave unless an exorbitant offer is made, citing the £116m Manchester City paid for Anderson and the £100m Tottenham spent to sign Tonali from Newcastle. Lille value Bouaddi at between £69 million and £89 million, and when asked about the accuracy of these figures, Letang responded to Eurosport: "How do you answer that question? Have I already spoken, raised the subject, given a value? No, never. You have to look at his level. How much have players like Anderson or Tonali been sold, who are much older but with no room for development? So you have an idea of the value of Ayyoub, who has a unique profile only to 18 years."

Letang also compared Bouaddi to other big names in French sport, stating: "Ayyoub made his international debut in the Morocco-Brazil game. That's no small feat. Despite being just 18, he has already played at a high level. He has played in Ligue 1, Champions League campaigns, the Europa League and the Europa Conference. He is the youngest player to have appeared in a European Cup game. He is very young, but he already has significant experience. In his three years with us, he He was extraordinary in many ways. He is one of the true sporting figures like Victor Wembanyama, Paul Seixas, Leon Marchand or Kylian Mbappe."

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