Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are supposedly among the clubs keeping a watchful eye on Lille's teenage sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The French side could be raided by their Premier League counterparts this summer, as two of their high-profile stars - Jonathan David and Angel Gomes - are due to leave on free transfers.
Canadian striker David is understood to favour a move to England despite interest from Barcelona, while Gomes has apparently attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
The England international was also linked with a return to Man United, whom he represented between 2006 and 2020, but the Red Devils supposedly have no interest in re-signing him as a free agent.
However, Ruben Amorim's side could still try to lure another Dogues midfielder to Old Trafford, as TBR Football claims that they are one of several sides monitoring the progress of 17-year-old Bouaddi.
Record-breaking Ayyoub Bouaddi in profile
© Imago
The 2007-born midfielder is several months younger than Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri but is already a first-team regular for the 2020-21 Ligue 1 champions, making 32 appearances in all competitions this season.
Bouaddi has provided two assists for his teammates in that time, while starting 10 games in Ligue 1 and seven in the Champions League, where Lille reached the last 16 before being eliminated by Borussia Dortmund.
The teenager had already made his breakthrough in the 2023-24 season, where he broke a couple of age-related records, firstly becoming the youngest player to play in a European club competition game just three days after his 16th birthday.
Bouaddi also broke the record for the youngest player to ever appear in a competitive game for Lille, which had stood for 45 years, and he has already made 50 appearances for Les Dogues' first team.
The 6ft 1in midfielder won his first two caps for France's Under-21 team in November, and he will be entering the last two years of his contract at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy this summer.
Man United among seven Premier League clubs battling for Bouaddi?
© Imago
No fewer than seven Premier League clubs are said to be interested in Bouaddi, including five members of the 'Big Six' in Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United, Manchester City and Liverpool, who have received 'glowing reports' from scouts.
However, the quintet could face intense competition from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig this summer, as well as Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Lille apparently have no plans to accept a fee for Bouaddi this summer given that they stand to lose both David and Gomes, and he could not join a Premier League team until he turns 18 anyway.
An extremely versatile player, Bouaddi has functioned as a holding, advanced and box-to-box midfielder, as well as deputising at centre-back at club level and as a left-midfielder for France's Under-21s.
Ben Knapton
