Tottenham have been rebuilding their side more actively than ever.
Tottenham Hotspur are one of several clubs keeping tabs on Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to reports, later relayed by a boatload of Spurs pages, and after Friday night’s display at the MetLife Stadium it is not difficult to see why. The Lille midfielder, who only turned 18 in October, was arguably Morocco’s standout performer as they held Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group C opener, completing 60 of 66 attempted passes for a 91% accuracy rate and winning nine ground duels in the process.
Ismael Saibari put Morocco ahead in the 21st minute, and it was Bouaddi’s pressing that directly contributed to the goal. He and Noussair Mazraoui closed down Lucas Paqueta, with the ball eventually finding its way to Brahim Diaz before Saibari finished. Vinicius Junior equalised for Brazil 11 minutes later, but the Atlas Lions came away with a thoroughly deserved point and Bouaddi came away with a global reputation.
The queue forming for Ayyoub Bouaddi’s signature
This was his first senior international appearance, having only switched his allegiance from France to Morocco last month with FIFA approval. Bouaddi made his Lille debut back in October 2023, becoming at 16 years and three days old the youngest player ever to appear in a European club competition. He has since amassed 63 Ligue 1 appearances.