Lille have set an asking price for Arsenal and Manchester United transfer target Ayyoub Bouaddi, complicating a potential summer move for the Morocco midfielder. The French club's chairman, Olivier Letang, has hinted that a fee similar to recent Premier League deals would be required to secure the 18-year-old.
Lille's Increased Valuation
Arsenal have held initial talks over a summer deal for Bouaddi, with Mikel Arteta seeking to bolster his midfield options. Lille initially valued Bouaddi at around £70 million after he signed a new contract in December last year, extending his deal through to the summer of 2029. However, following Tottenham's £100 million agreement with Newcastle for Sandro Tonali and Manchester City's £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson, Letang has raised the asking price.
"When I see Anderson move to Manchester City for £116 million and Tonali to Tottenham for £100 million, and they don't have the potential for development that Ayyoub has because he possesses unique qualities," Letang told reporters. "I have a price in mind, and we'll see what happens."
Bouaddi's Focus on World Cup
Speaking to The Athletic earlier in the summer, Bouaddi remained focused on international duty. "For the moment I'm only focused on the World Cup, I cannot answer to this right now," he said. "I'm really happy to know that some clubs are interested in me but for now I'm here focused on the World Cup with Morocco and we will try to give everything to do our best."
Manchester United's Midfield Search
Manchester United have also been linked with Bouaddi after missing out on Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham in a deal worth £85 million. According to reports, United will continue to monitor a wider group of midfielders in addition to the Morocco international. Other targets on United's shortlist include Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni, Bournemouth pair Tyler Adams and Alex Scott, and Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha. However, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have not featured prominently in United's discussions so far this summer.
