Bouaddi's World Cup masterclass leaves Man United facing £100m now-or-never call

Ayyoub Bouaddi’s World Cup ended in a quarter-final defeat to France in Boston, but the 18-year-old Lille midfielder left the tournament having done more than enough to justify the £100m price tag that is reportedly attached to him — and Manchester United are among the clubs who know they cannot wait much longer.

Morocco were eliminated by goals from Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé, yet their campaign was widely regarded as another outstanding showing for African football. Bouaddi was central to it. He was outstanding against Brazil, flawless against Scotland, and composed enough against Holland, France and Canada to demonstrate he can operate at the very highest level.

In the quarter-final alone, he announced himself with a perfectly timed tackle on Mbappé before continuing to spray passes and control the midfield tempo with a maturity that belies just 63 senior league appearances for Lille. On Thursday, he became the second-youngest player to feature in a FIFA World Cup quarter-final, with only Pelé — who achieved the feat in 1958 — ahead of him in the record books.

Newcastle United are believed to have made an enquiry for Bouaddi earlier this year and were told the fee would be close to £100m. That figure effectively ended their interest, but it has done nothing to cool the pursuit from bigger clubs. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are all reported to be monitoring him, which means the window for United to act is narrowing.

United are understood to have Andrey Santos and Ederson close to joining, which would give manager Michael Carrick three central midfield options alongside Kobbie Mainoo. The argument being made in some quarters is that whatever further investment is available this summer should be directed at Bouaddi, who is seen as both an immediate contributor and a decade-long asset.

He would follow fellow Morocco internationals Noussair Mazraoui and Sofyan Amrabat to Old Trafford, but would represent a marquee acquisition of a different order entirely.

Lille president Olivier Letang has so far refused to put a public number on his prized asset. Asked for a valuation, Letang said: “How to respond to this question… have I spoken about this subject, given a number? No, never.” He has, however, indicated privately that he believes Bouaddi could be worth more than the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson and the £100m fee attached to Sandro Tonali.

For United, the calculation is straightforward even if the sum is not: Bouaddi is the kind of generational talent that does not come available twice. This World Cup was, in all likelihood, only his first.