Arsenal open talks to sign Bouaddi as Giroud hails World Cup star's extraordinary maturity

Arsenal have opened talks to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, with The Times reporting that the Gunners have entered discussions over a player contracted in France until 2029. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are also understood to be monitoring the Morocco international following his standout World Cup 2026 debut.

Bouaddi caught the eye as Morocco went ahead against Brazil in their group-stage opener before settling for a draw. The teenager, born in France and capped at under-21 level there before switching allegiance to Morocco earlier this year, has quickly become a key figure in Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad.

Few are better placed to assess Bouaddi’s ability than Olivier Giroud, who has trained alongside the midfielder at Lille since 2025. The 39-year-old, who scored 105 goals for Arsenal before leaving in 2018, has been effusive in his praise.

“There’s a 21-year age gap between Ayyoub and me, he’s a great guy on and off the pitch,” Giroud said in a 2025 interview. “Wow, he blew me away. He’s the one who amazes me the most on a daily basis, even if there are other good young players. The maturity he has, the thinking — me, at 17, I was in the U19 national league. I was light years away from that.”

Giroud added: “I call him my little one but he is already a big boy, very mature, with extraordinary values. I really wish him a great career because he is a beautiful person in addition to being a top player.”

Bouaddi himself has kept his focus firmly on the tournament. Asked by The Athletic whether a Premier League move this summer was on his mind, he said: “For the moment, I am only focused on the World Cup and I cannot answer to this right now. Of course, I’m really happy to know that some clubs are interested in me. But, for now, I’m only focused on the World Cup with Morocco and we will try to give everything to do our best.”

Morocco, semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup, face Scotland in Foxborough on Friday before completing their group-stage programme against Haiti on June 24.