Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on a teenage midfielder who has already made his mark at the World Cup this summer.
It has been widely reported over recent weeks that Tottenham are scouring the market for midfielders, with Roberto De Zerbi keen on reinforcing his options in the middle of the park.
In fact, Fabrizio Romano suggested over the weekend that Spurs are expected to make an ‘important’ signing in midfield, backing the Lilywhites to be busy over the next few weeks of the window.
It has now emerged that the Lilywhites have turned their attention to a young Moroccan, who has made an impressive start to the World Cup.
Tottenham battling European giants for Moroccan starlet Ayyoub Bouaddi
Foot Mercato reporter Santi Aouna has named Spurs as one of the clubs vying to land Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who enjoyed a breakout season in Ligue 1 in 2025-26.
The 18-year-old, who impressed in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil over the weekend, is also on the radars of Arsenal, Liverpool and PSG, with the Reds sending representatives to watch the midfielder in action against the Selecao.
Aouna wrote on X: “Liverpool executives made the trip to New York’s MetLife Stadium specifically to watch Ayyoub Bouaddi play. The Reds have added him to their shortlist, just like Lamine Camara and others Several clubs are closely following the Moroccan’s progress: PSG, Arsenal, Tottenham, and many more.”
Why Spurs need to prioritise signing a number six
Yves Bissouma’s exit from Tottenham has now been confirmed, and De Zerbi could also lose another senior midfielder this summer.
Spurs are reportedly not finding it easy to sign Joao Palhinha, with Sporting Lisbon giving the Lilywhites major competition for the 30-year-old.
One would thus expect the North Londoners to prioritise signing a top-class number six, particularly as it appears that De Zerbi does not think Archie Gray is ready to start regularly.