The 17-year-old midfielder has attracted the attention of several top English clubs after impressing in this season's Champions League
Ayyoub Bouaddi turned 17 on October 2. He spent the evening helping Lille beat Real Madrid in the Champions League. Shortly after the full-time whistle, the crowd at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy sang him ''.
As birthdays go, Bouaddi's was truly special. But then, this is a truly special player – one that has already broken a number of records and been linked with a string of Europe's top clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.
So, who is Bouaddi? And just how far could he go in the game? GOAL is here to tell you everything you need to know about a classy defensive midfielder being touted as the best player to come out of Lille's academy since Eden Hazard…
GettyWhere it all began
Bouaddi was born in Senlis in northern France and began playing football at the age of five in nearby Creil. Despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, he chose to join Lille in 2021, when he was still only 13.
"Ayyoub was an obvious choice: tall, at ease in midfield, with great technique and vision," former coach Georges Tournay told . "He was destined for success, a bit like Raphael Varane."
Just over two years after arriving at Lille, Bouaddi signed his first professional contract with the Ligue 1 outfit. "I'm very happy," Bouaddi told Les Dogues' official website. "Becoming a pro here was a goal for me. What's next? I just want to continue performing and working every day to eventually join the senior squad."
He would achieve that particular goal far quicker than anyone expected.
AdvertisementThe big break
Bouaddi progressed rapidly through Lille's youth sector and had already appeared for the reserves in the fifth tier of French football when then-first team coach Paulo Fonseca named him in his starting line-up for the Conference League clash with KI Klaksvik on October 5, 2023.
Bouaddi was just 16 years and three days old – making him the youngest player ever to appear in a UEFA club cup competition, as well as Lille's youngest player since 1981. Fonseca enthused at the time, "We have discovered a player for the future." But also one for the present, as it transpired.
Just two weeks after featuring against KI, Bouaddi came on as a second-half substitute in a game against Brest, thus becoming the youngest Ligue 1 player of the 21st century, and he would line out for the senior team a further 16 times before the 2023-24 campaign concluded. It did not come as a surprise, then, to see Lille extend Bouaddi's contract until 2027 during the summer.
"I am proud and happy to be able to continue the adventure with LOSC, the one that gave me my chance and allowed me to make my professional debut," the midfielder enthused. "My ambitions for next season? To give everything to achieve the club's objectives and make our supporters proud."
How it's going
Lille fans couldn't have been any prouder of Bouaddi after his ridiculously composed display in the shock but fully deserved 1-0 win over reigning European champions Madrid. Despite being pitted against the likes of Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, the teenager was the picture of composure in the middle of the park, completing 43 of his 44 passes on the night.
"You saw exactly what I did," coach Bruno Genesio told reporters in his post-match press conference. "He showed all the potential and talent he was. We all know what he's capable of. He has the talent to play at this level."
Bouaddi proved that again in Lille's last Champions League match just before the November international break, with the youngster named Player of the Match after the 1-1 draw with Juventus thanks to another incredibly composed display in front of the back four.
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
Bouaddi is still very young but he appears to have that rare ability to know exactly what's going on all around him no matter where he is on the pitch. He's highly adept at both winning the ball (no Lille player regained possession more times against Juve) before using it swiftly and effectively. He's not just content to pass to just his centre-backs, either, as Bouaddi is always looking for team-mates in space in the final third.
He also never seems to be ruffled, even when receiving possession in tight spaces, probably because he knows he can always rely on his combination of awareness and quick feet to get him out of trouble.