World Cup midfield star attraching strong interest from Liverpool and Man United

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2 July 2026

Neil El Aynaoui has played himself into the middle of the summer market. According to TeamTalk,

Manchester United

are among a cluster of Premier League clubs now monitoring the

Roma

midfielder after a

World Cup

that has changed the conversation around him.

That matters, because this is how transfer races begin. A player performs well in a major tournament, clubs revisit the reports they already had, and suddenly what looked like a smart idea becomes a live one. El Aynaoui, 25, has done exactly that with Morocco.

The original focus around the national side had been elsewhere. As TeamTalk reports, much of the build-up centred on Ayyoub Bouaddi. Yet over the course of the tournament, El Aynaoui has taken the spotlight through authority, composure and consistency. Against Brazil and the Netherlands, he looked entirely comfortable in serious company. Up against names such as Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Ryan Gravenberch and Frenkie de Jong, he was described as the player who “repeatedly dictated the tempo, combining defensive discipline with composure in possession and impressive athleticism.”

That is the key point. Good midfielders are not in short supply. Midfielders who can impose rhythm against elite opposition are another matter. TeamTalk states that “scouts from across Europe have been hugely impressed”, and that is not difficult to believe given the profile of the matches and the level of control El Aynaoui showed.

Roma signed him from Lens last summer and he went on to feature in more than 30 matches in his first season in Italy. On paper, that sounds solid. In reality, the more revealing line is that “his opportunities from the start were more limited than many expected.” Clubs notice that. They always do. If a player has quality, age on his side and room for a bigger role, the market reacts quickly.

Now it has. TeamTalk says “a number of clubs across Europe have already made contact regarding El Aynaoui’s situation”, with those interested believing they can offer him more first-team football than he currently gets at the Stadio Olimpico.

Photo: IMAGO

Manchester United are named among the clubs who have held discussions via intermediaries, alongside Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Sunderland. Everton are also said to be watching closely, which is notable given the Friedkin Group’s ownership links with

For United, the attraction is obvious. El Aynaoui looks like a modern central midfielder, athletic enough to cover ground, tidy enough to keep possession moving, and robust enough to handle high-level opponents. He may not arrive with the noise attached to more fashionable names, but there is a reason TeamTalk says “his name is now firmly on the shortlist of several Premier League clubs searching for midfield reinforcements.”

There is another layer here too. TeamTalk notes that his rise did not start at this

. His Africa Cup of Nations displays had already alerted major clubs, with Barcelona and Real Madrid making enquiries earlier in the year. That broadens the picture. This is not a two-week spike. It is a pattern.

The obvious question is whether

actually want to sell. TeamTalk is careful on that point. The Italian side still see him as a player with upside, but interest is building and “the belief among those representing the player is that there could be a genuine opportunity for El Aynaoui to move this summer should

receive the right proposal.” In other words, this will come down to money, squad planning and the player’s view of his role.

Former Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia offered perhaps the clearest endorsement of all. “He’s very strong because he combines quality and quantity,” Benatia told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I didn’t understand why he played less at

than I would have expected. I had tried to sign him for my Marseille, but he cost too much.”

That is blunt and useful. Quality and quantity, that is what clubs want in midfield. If

are open to listening, they will not be short of callers. If

are serious, they should already know exactly what level of player this is and whether he fits the next version of their squad.

From a

perspective, this sounds like the sort of move the club should be able to make before the price gets silly. The report points to a player who has performed against top opposition, has Serie A experience, and is still at the stage where a buying club can argue there is more to come. That is usually where value lives.

The concern, naturally, is whether United are merely one name on a long list. They are mentioned alongside half the league, and that often means one of two things, either the player is genuinely admired everywhere, or people around the deal are making sure the market looks crowded. Both can be true as well.

Still, the football case is straightforward. If El Aynaoui truly can “dictate the tempo” while offering “defensive discipline with composure in possession and impressive athleticism”, then he addresses several issues at once. United have lacked control in midfield for too long. They have had runners, passers and specialists, but not enough players who can knit phases together cleanly.

The bigger issue is execution. United do not need another summer of admiring profiles and ending up overpaying for a less suitable option in late August. If the scouting is convinced, move early. If not, move on quickly. That is what serious recruitment looks like. El Aynaoui may or may not be the answer, but this report describes a player worth taking very seriously.

Source:

TeamTalk

Neil El Aynaoui: World Cup unsung hero emerges as ideal midfield addition for Man United

The Peoples Person

Roma talent El Aynaoui targeted by Manchester United and Liverpool

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