Liverpool supporters have been keenly watching Yan Diomande at the World Cup as he prepares to potentially join the Reds this summer, but he is not the only young player on fans’ radars.
Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi has been linked with Liverpool, with meetings over a switch to Anfield already said to have taken place.
The 18-year-old has excelled as a starter for the Atlas Lions, safely navigating them into the knockout rounds with a 4-2 win over Haiti on Wednesday.
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There they are now locked in to meet the Netherlands, with Liverpool fans set to see how Bouaddi fares while up against their very own Ryan Gravenberch.
Bouaddi set for Ryan Gravenberch face-off
Although they have been linked with Bouaddi, it currently seems as though Liverpool are not favourites to land the youngster.
Arsenal, Man City and Real Madrid are all supposedly in the mix, and as Liverpool prioritise sealing a huge deal for Diomande, they may ultimately miss out on Bouaddi. As things stand, though, he is still a Lille player, and the race is very much open.
Morocco’s game against the Netherlands could be the turning point for that, with Bouaddi set to come up against one of the best midfields in the World Cup.
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Gravenberch works excellently with Tijani Rejnders and Frenkie de Jong to form a trio who could hold their own against any in the world.
If Bouaddi can stand up and make a difference against the Dutch, perhaps it could prompt Liverpool into stepping on the gas in their pursuit of his signature.
Bouaddi could seal move with top performance against the Dutch
If Liverpool are not yet completely convinced that the £60m or so Lille reportedly want to sell Bouaddi is money well spent, then a good display against the Netherlands in Monterrey could change their mind.
It is obviously not good practice to sign players based on what they do during international tournaments, but Bouaddi has obviously been on Liverpool’s radar for his performances with Lille.
There is no problem in using the World Cup to confirm what they already know about the teenager, and showing up and dominating Gravenberch and co would be a big statement.
On the flip side, if Bouaddi is swallowed up by the occasion, or lets his opponents easily get the better of him, it may show to Liverpool that he is not quite ready yet.
It is clear that Bouaddi’s star is on the rise, but this is now a whole new level. It is time to show that he can do it against the very best, and with Liverpool supporters watching three of their players within the Dutch XI, their opinions on just how good Bouaddi really is will be shaped in large part by what they see on the pitch in Mexico on June 30th.
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