Chances of mega-money Man Utd deal for midfield wonderkid revealed; Vivell is a huge fan

Manchester United are understood to be ‘extensively scouting’ Lille’s midfield wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi, and with talks being held among club chiefs over a possible move, sources have revealed the chances of a January approach on the Ligue 1 club.

The Red Devils finally feel like they’re upwardly mobile after a difficult first year under Ruben Amorim’s charge. After finishing in a dismal 15th last season and having endured a difficult start to the new campaign, the recent 2-1 victory at Anfield looks like being a major turning point in Manchester United‘s fortunes.

And should they claim a victory over struggling Nottingham Forest on Saturday, United could well find themselves back among the Premier League’s top four for the first time in what feels like a pretty substantial period of time.

While finishing in the Champions League positions this season now suddenly feels like a more achievable target, Amorim will hope to use the January transfer market to further supplement his squad and, in particular, strengthen in the key midfield positions.

TEAMtalk has previously revealed United plan to strengthen with two midfield signings in 2026; one in January and one next summer as they look to freshen up and provide more energy in the engine room of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation.

One name that we can confirm the club like is 18-year-old Lille star Bouaddi – rated in the €50m (£44m, $58m), despite his deal expiring in 2027 – who has caught the eye this season and has become a firm fixture in Bruno Genesio’s side.

And with Caught Offside now also revealing that United have scouted the teenager ‘extensively’ and is a player they are considering making a move for, our transfer insider, Dean Jones, has revealed the prospects of a mega-money January deal coming to fruition.

However, according to Jones, while Bouaddi is seen as an ‘interesting player’ for United and one that director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is especially fond of, a move to bring him to Old Trafford in the winter window looks highly unlikely at this stage….

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What are Man Utd thoughts on a January deal for Ayyoub Bouaddi?

Per Jones, the main cause of debate among United right now is Bouaddi’s tender years. And while he has already racked up 67 senior appearances for Lille, including gaining experience in the Champions League and Europa League, throwing him straight into the blood and thunder of the Premier League would be a huge risk right now.

“I think he is a very interesting player to keep an eye on. He played a full 90 minutes in midfield recently against PSG and plenty of scouts were at the game watching him,” Jones explained.

“Man Utd and Christopher Vivell [in charge of identifying new, upcoming talent] definitely like him. It’s difficult to know exactly how they measure an offer at this stage because they are obviously in a very fragile stage of their squad rebuild and throwing a teenager into the mix isn’t the most reliable thing they could do.

“But he’s extremely good, and could make an impact on the current crop. I do think they would open up a pathway for him.

“Obviously, they are being linked with some expensive midfielders who are more established in the Premier League, but let’s see what happens.”

Furthermore, with United looking to sign a player for their midfield who already knows the Premier League well, it is Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton who is fast emerging as their top target, ahead of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.

“If I had to say who I think the top target is then I would say Adam Wharton is becoming the one, but the reality is that none of this is straightforward. I think Carlos Baleba would be right in the mix if his price tag was not so high, but with the sums of money we are looking at I would say that I think they see Wharton as a more reliable signing,” Jones explained.

“I would like to be able to predict how this will work out but it really is too soon to know. Between now and January there is a good chance things change in terms of player satisfaction or injuries – or even new targets could emerge.

“Wharton is intriguing to them, though, from what I hear. It’s just going to be a very difficult deal in January – but that’s the case for all the players in England they’re looking at.”

Latest Man Utd news: Amorim claps back at rival boss; double West Ham enquiry

Meanwhile, Amorim has hit back at previous claims made by Sean Dyche ahead of United’s clash with Forest on Saturday – and comments made by the gravel-toned 54-year-old now look rather foolish to say the least.

Elsewhere, reports have identified the two players West Ham have enquired about signing from United ahead of the January window, though rules stipulate that only one of the pair can move to the London Stadium should Amorim and Co. sanction a departure.

Finally, TEAMtalk has taken a look at the 10 players signed by Erik ten Hag who still remain at Old Trafford and predicted when each star could leave.

Ayyoub Bouaddi: The story so far

In 2021, Bouaddi joined Lille’s academy at the age of 13.

In August 2023, still only 15, he signed his first professional contract with the club.

Ayoub bouaddi is the real deal man.. box to box monster
Perfect casemiro replacement
Manchester united should be all over him #mufc pic.twitter.com/xCS64LL0LE

— DANTE (@DanTeFutbal) October 30, 2025

His senior debut followed that October, three days after his 16th birthday, as he featured in a Europa Conference League match against KI. He became the youngest ever player to feature in a European match and also Lille’s youngest debutant.

He then made his Ligue 1 bow that same month, becoming Lille’s youngest player in the top flight for over 40 years.

In November 2023, he debuted for France’s U17s – at the age of 16 years and one month.

After finishing his first season for Lille with 18 appearances, half of which were in Ligue 1, he celebrated his 17th birthday by starring against Real Madrid on his Champions League debut, lasting all 90 minutes.

Bouaddi finished the 2024/25 season with an impressive 35 senior appearances, and he has played in all three of their Ligue 1 games so far this season, where they have taken seven points so far.

The teenager also has five caps for France Under-21s.

The future is bright.