Liverpool are reportedly battling with Arsenal and Chelsea over a deal to sign LOSC Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, as per TEAMtalk.
Having endured a disappointing campaign last term, the Reds have appointed Andoni Iraola as the new manager. They are said to be planning to revamp the squad this summer to help the Spanish boss achieve success next season.
The Merseyside club currently have Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai as options to deploy in the deeper midfield positions.
However, Jones is likely to leave as his existing deal is set to expire at the end of next season. On the other hand, speculation surrounding Mac Allister’s future has been emerging, while Endo struggled to find regular game time over the last couple of seasons.
Szoboszlai, meanwhile, is more comfortable playing in the creative midfield position. So, it appears Liverpool are considering reinforcing the engine room.
TEAMtalk claim that after being impressed by Bouaddi’s development, Liverpool have expressed their interest in him and have already made contact to enquire about the details of signing him.
However, Iraola’s side have to overcome stiff competition to finalise the operation as Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain are also in this race. Alongside Liverpool, Arsenal and Los Blancos have also held talks over this deal.
Battle
With Bouaddi’s existing deal set to run until 2029, Lille are in a strong position to demand a huge fee to sell him and are wanting around £100m, citing examples of Elliot Anderson to Man City and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur.
Bouaddi is a defensive midfielder by trait but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. He is quick, strong, technically sound, tidy with possession, and is efficient in defensive contributions.
Following Christian Norgaard’s poor performances last term, Arsenal are seemingly planning to sign a new midfielder to replace the Dane. On the other hand, having appointed Xabi Alonso as the new manager, Chelsea are looking to upgrade several areas of the squad, with the engine room one of those.
Bouaddi is a talented player and possesses the potential to reach the top. So, he would be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal, Chelsea, or Liverpool should any of those clubs purchase him.
Other News
