Liverpool may now find it harder to sign teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi after his eye-catching performances at the World Cup.
That’s what David Lynch has suggested in his reflections on the Reds’ pursuit of the Morocco international, who’s been moniotored by Anfield chiefs since the early weeks of last season.
Nine months ago, Lille would reportedly have been prepared to entertain offers of around €40m-€45m (£34.1m-£38.4m) for the 18-year-old (Daily Briefing), but the Ligue 1 club would surely charge a premium for him now off the back of his displays on the global stage.
Speaking to Anfield Index, Lynch claimed that Bouaddi’s World Cup exploits will have made it harder for Liverpool to fend off wealthy competitors for the midfielder’s signature, with a frantic bidding war quite possibly ensuing.
The journalist said: “He’s definitely a player Liverpool admire and have done before the World Cup. I think it’s not been helpful for their interest just how good a World Cup he’s had. I just think it’s pushed the price up even further.
“It has pushed the price into the kind of realms of prices that maybe Manchester City are slightly more willing to pay for a younger player than Liverpool would be.”
However, Lynch hasn’t dismissed Liverpool’s chances of winning the race for Bouaddi as he stated: “It’s still early days in that one. I don’t think we’re in the place where we can completely rule them out.”
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FSG might indeed be wary of the ‘World Cup tax’ which is likely to be put on the Morocco midfielder, and his asking price might also be influenced by the two most expensive signings in the Premier League so far this summer.
Lille president Olivier Letang cited the recent transfers of Elliot Anderson (£116m to Manchester City) and Sandro Tonali (£100m to Tottenham Hotspur) as a baseline figure of the minimum they’re hoping to reap for the 18-year-old, who unlike that duo doesn’t yet have any English top-flight experience.
Liverpool are extremely unlikely to spend another £446m in the market this summer, but annual Champions League qualification and record revenues would suggest that they should have the scope to bring in a couple of big-money signings and properly back Andoni Iraola in the transfer window.
The Reds remain firmly in the hunt for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who could conceivably cost a nine-figure fee, and that position is in greater need of attention than the midfield (even though there’s also scope for a natural no.6 to be brought in).
For FSG, it may ultimately come down to how much they’re prepared to spend on Bouaddi, and whether or not a rival suitor like Man City would exceed that amount. What we can say for certain is that nobody is signing him for less than £40m now…
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