Man Utd ‘Making Checks’ on Breakout Star of 2026 World Cup

The hunt for new midfielders continues at Old Trafford.

Ayyoub Bouaddi is catching the eye in North America. | MAURICE VAN STEEN/ANP/Getty Images

Manchester United’s pursuit of additional midfielders this summer has grown to include Morocco’s sought-after teen sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Bouaddi’s emergence has been one of the major talking points of the World Cup so far. The 18-year-old only switched allegiance to Morocco from France in May but has stood out in games against Brazil, Scotland and the Netherlands to help his team into the round of 16.

According to Sky Sports, initial interest in Bouaddi has been followed up by “further checks” from the Old Trafford club. He will next be in action to watch when Morocco faces Canada on Saturday.

A deal for Brazil’s Éderson is all but confirmed, yet Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are off the table after moving for a combined £301 million ($402 million). United appear to be keeping their options open to continue recruiting midfielders open.

So while Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni are of considerable interest, Bouaddi has also come onto the radar alongside Felix Nmecha and Sander Berge. The club has admired the latter on and off since 2020 when he came to prominence at Genk, playing for Sheffield United, Burnley and Fulham in the intervening six years.

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Bouaddi Commands Big Transfer Fee

Lille smell an opportunity to cash in. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Manchester United ultimately allowed Tottenham a free run at Mateus Fernandes because they were not prepared to pay the £85 million ($113.5 million) asking price that West Ham wanted. Tonali will be sold for £100 million ($133.5 million) when that transfer from Newcastle gets finalized, while Anderson—at £116 million ($155 million)—is a record sum for an English player.

But soccer clubs love to price their players based on what others have sold for and Bouaddi is likely to still be expensive. Early estimates suggest Lille will ask in the region of £68.5 million ($91.5 million) on the low end and £85.7 million ($114.4 million) on the high end.

Bouaddi is not a complete unknown. He may be brand new to senior international soccer, but the young talent has completed two full seasons in France’s Ligue 1 already—he debuted for Lille back in October 2023, just days after his 16th birthday.

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What is Bouaddi’s Style of Play, Best Player Comparison?

Rodri has a comparable style. | Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Getty Images

For being priced similarly to Fernandes or less, Bouaddi offers better value as someone who is younger and has played at a higher level already—his career history includes 25 matches in European competitions, nine of which have been in the Champions League. Tonali and Anderson were both considerably more expensive, but not necessarily justifiably so.

In terms of style, Bouaddi could be the direct replacement for Casemiro. He is calm on the ball, will help progress possession out of defense and reads the game well, bearing some similarities to Rodri. The Manchester City star is slightly more physical and is capable of impacting games in the attacking third despite being a defensive-minded midfielder. Bouaddi has literally never scored a goal in 102 senior-level matches, but has so much room to grow and develop.

For reference, it is only within the last three seasons that 27-year-old Declan Rice has added a more consistent goal threat to his game.

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