Liverpool 'Admire' World Cup's 'Genius' Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi

Liverpool are not to be ruled out of the race to sign one of the World Cup's most impressive young midfielders, according to one journalist. The Reds are yet to truly get going in this transfer window despite snapping up Victor Muñoz early in the window, with Andoni Iraola likely wanting much more completed business before the window shuts in around a month and a half.

The Spaniard will get money to spend, with Liverpool set to follow up a big spending total last summer with another significant outlay this time around to allow Iraola to make sure he has the players required to operate within his style.

A midfielder is likely to be signed, with Liverpool needing more depth in the middle having heavily relied upon Ryan Gravenerch, and they are not completely out of the race to sign a World Cup gem, according to one journalist.

Liverpool still not out of the race to land Ayyoub Bouaddi

Liverpool have been linked with Morocco and Lille's outstanding young talent Ayyoub Bousaddi for much of the summer, with the 18-year-old 'superstar in the making' having looked like an experienced operator this summer despite his youthful age.

Manchester City are the favourites to land Bouaddi, but according to Liverpool journalist David Lynch, it's not out of the question that Liverpool make a move for the £85m-rated player.

Speaking to the Anfield Index podcast, Lynch 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.”

He added: "It’s still early days in that one. I don’t think we’re in the place where we can completely rule them out.”

Why is Bouaddi seen as such a special player?

Beyond his performances at the World Cup, Bouaddi has been building an impressive reputation at Lille, and TNT Sports' Julien Laurents explained recently: "Lille played Real Madrid two years ago on his birthday. He turned 17 that day and Lille won 1-0 in the group stage. And he was just outstanding. He was the best player on the pitch on the day of his 17th birthday. He was just incredible, really. And I think we remembered Eduardo Camavinga when he was still at Rennes, bossing a game against PSG when he was 16 in midfield. And I had a similar vibe of somebody that young who's already that good against the best team in the world really at the time.

"It was like peak Real Madrid. And he was the best player on the pitch. You don't really start that young if you're not special. And then you don't boss the Real Madrid midfield in the Champions League at 17 if you're not special either."

He added: "Not just all the footballing ability - the size of him because he's quite tall - but also how smart he is. He did the baccalaureate, he's starting a university degree because he wants to still learn school stuff when really he could have stopped school at 16, like a lot of them do, because it was so obvious that he was already playing for the first team and was going to make it.

"And so on and off the pitch, I think a prodigy, not far from probably a genius football-wise. And then a very smart kid with really grounded parents off the field."

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