18 Jun 2026 16:04 BST |
4 min read
Olivier Giroud believes his Lille teammate Ayyoub Bouaddi ‘will be playing for Real Madrid next year’ despite interest from Arsenal after the Spanish giants stepped up their interest in the Morrocan wonderkid.
Bouaddi elevated himself to global stardom after a standout performance for Morocco in their first game at the 2026 World Cup against Brazil last week, leading to a number of major sides across Europe declaring their interest in the 18-year-old.
Arsenal are believed to have already opened talks with Lille over a transfer for Bouaddi this summer, although Paris Saint-Germain are thought to be frontrunners for his signature.
However, according to reports in Spain, Real Madrid have discussed Bouaddi’s name internally as a potential alternative to Enzo Fernandez and Lille star Giroud admitted he could see his teammate playing Los Blancos if his finishing improves.
Speaking to the BBC, Giroud said: “Over 60, 70 million the price is now…I think it’s going to be tough to keep him at Lille. But he’s a complete player and very versatile and he’s all over the place, a bit like N’Golo [Kante].
“The only thing he needs to improve, and he knows that because we’ve been teasing him about that a lot this year, is his finishing, like being more aggressive in front of goal. But if he has it, he’ll be playing for Real Madrid next year.”
Bouaddi rise sees Real Madrid take note as Fernandez alternative
Bouaddi came through Lille’s academy and made his senior debut in the Europa League in October 2023 aged 16 and three days, becoming the youngest player to feature in a European competition, as well as breaking the same record in Ligue 1 weeks later.
Since then, Bouaddi has been a mainstay in Lille’s midfield, making 96 appearances in all competitions, although he has yet to score a senior goal for his club, with his skillset being more apparent deeper on the pitch.
Bouaddi’s maturity in midfield was on display in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil and a report emerged the following day of Arsenal engaging in talks with Lille over a deal worth around €70m.
Fernandez is still the top target of Jose Mourinho to strengthen in midfield but, with Chelsea likely to demand in excess of €120m for their star man, Bouaddi has become a target for Real Madrid this summer.
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