‘Mix of Busquets and Vieira’—Real Madrid Target Hyped After Stellar World Cup Outing

The 18-year-old played at a level beyond his tender years in Morocco’s draw with five-time champions Brazil.

Ayyoub Bouaddi (left) is all over transfer gossip columns. | MB Media/Getty Images

Morocco’s teenage sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi is reported to be “on Real Madrid’s radar”, as Los Blancos seek to sign a box-to-box midfielder this summer.

Bouaddi looks set to become one of the summer transfer window’s hottest properties, following an impressive campaign with Lille and profile-raising displays for his national team.

The French-born 18-year-old, who made 30 Ligue 1 appearances in 2025–26, shone for Morocco in its World Cup group stage opener against Brazil and appears set to be an important player for the Atlas Lions this summer, despite only making his international debut earlier this year.

His composure on the ball and work rate have led to links to a number of top clubs, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.

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Olivier Giroud Outlines Bouaddi’s Key Strengths

Bouaddi has earned some big comparisons. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

His Lille teammate, Olivier Giroud, says that Bouaddi’s talent means he could well end up at Real Madrid, even comparing him to some all-time greats.

Speaking as a pundit for BBC Sport after Morocco’s 1–1 draw with Brazil, Giroud said: “It’s a gift to have him in the team and I think Morocco is very pleased to have him.

“I was talking with friends that sent me pictures of Patrick Vieira and Sergio Busquets. They said he’s a mix of both. He’s not as good yet as Busquets, but he’s got some skills. Vieira, may be [he has] a lack of, power compared to Patrick. He will get stronger and bigger.

“[He will cost] over €60–70 million. I think it’s going to be tough to keep him at Lille. He’s a complete player. He’s all over the place like N’Golo [Kanté]. The only thing he has to improve, and he knows that because we’ve been teasing him a lot about that is finishing.

“If he’s got it, he will play in Real Madrid next year.”

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How Bouaddi Ranks Against Ligue 1 Under-25 Midfielders (2025–26)*

Statistic	Rank
Passes	10th
Tackles	10th
Interceptions	9th
Passes Blocked	2nd
Fouls	1st

*statistics from WhoScored

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Real Madrid Seeking New Midfielder

José Mourinho wants more strength in midfield. | Valter Gouveia/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Few clubs love using the World Cup as a shop window like Real Madrid and AS say that Bouaddi is indeed a player on their radar, as they continue making plans for a summer of change.

The report claims that Madrid head scout Juni Calafat “issued very positive reports” on the young midfield star earlier this year and that he is very much on the club’s radar.

A deep-lying midfielder is believed to be high on Madrid’s list of priorities this summer, with the club still seeking long-term replacements for Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.

AS specifically states that new manager José Mourinho’s preference is for “a physically imposing player who also possesses the necessary passing ability to orchestrate the team's play”. Chelsea Enzo Fernández and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes are under consideration monitored.

At just 18, it feels unlikely that Real Madrid would make Bouaddi the centerpiece of their midfield and they may be more likely to go for a more experienced option this summer. However, there is always the possibilty that he could be signed alongside a more senior target, if the money is right.

In addition to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been mentioned as possible landing spots for Bouaddi in recent days. Expect interest to grow if Morocco continues to perform well at the World Cup.

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