Liverpool and Arsenal reluctantly accept loan-back clause in £100m pursuit of World Cup star Bouaddi

Liverpool and Arsenal are both prepared to accept a loan-back clause as part of a deal for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the French club expected to demand close to £100 million for the 18-year-old following his impressive World Cup 2026 campaign with Morocco.

Bouaddi started five games as the Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals before losing to France, and his performances have accelerated interest from several top European clubs. According to Football Insider, Liverpool and Arsenal are ‘reluctantly’ willing to allow Bouaddi to remain at Lille on loan for the 2026/27 season as a condition of any transfer — a significant concession given the scale of the potential outlay.

Manchester City are also in the running for the teenager, meaning a Premier League bidding war appears to be taking shape. All three clubs are said to be willing to compromise on the loan-back arrangement if it secures his signature ahead of next season.

Bouaddi only switched international allegiance to Morocco in May, having previously represented France at youth level up to Under-21, and made his senior debut for the Atlas Lions just last month. Despite having only seven senior international appearances to his name, Lille’s valuation reflects both his age-group pedigree and the attention his World Cup performances have generated.

The prospect of paying close to £100 million for a player who would then spend another season in Ligue 1 underlines the premium clubs are willing to pay for elite young talent. Both Liverpool and Arsenal have been active in that market this summer — the two clubs have also reportedly shown interest in 17-year-old Mexico midfielder Gilberto Mora, while Arsenal were linked with Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga before Manchester City appeared to move ahead in that pursuit.

Bouaddi is considerably further along in his development than either of those targets. He made his Lille debut three days after turning 16 and marked his 17th birthday with a Champions League appearance, and has been monitored by Europe’s leading clubs for some time. The willingness of Liverpool and Arsenal to absorb a loan-back clause signals just how highly he is regarded across the continent.