Chelsea ‘confident’ of sealing deal for “intelligent” Ligue 1 wonderkid who plays like Enzo Fernandez

Red Star Belgrade's Mirko Ivanic in action with Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi. (REUTERS/Zorana Jevtic)

Chelsea have made a habit of hoarding elite young talent in recent years, building a squad designed to dominate both now and for the next decade.

Estevão, Malo Gusto, Jamie Gittens, Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho, Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo, Jorrel Hato, Roméo Lavia, and Mike Penders are just part of the wave of starlets who have arrived at Stamford Bridge.

And with deals already lined up for Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda and Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha next summer, the club’s youth-first revolution is far from over.

Now, it appears Chelsea are pushing for yet another of Europe’s brightest prospects.

Chelsea are reportedly “confident” they can win the race for highly rated Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Mark Brus’ Daily Briefing.

The Blues believe their strong progress under Enzo Maresca — combined with the long-term contracts they routinely offer — gives them a major edge over rival suitors. Manchester United are also tracking Bouaddi closely, but Chelsea feel they are in a strong position.

One potential pathway discussed internally is for Bouaddi to join Strasbourg first, allowing him to continue developing in Ligue 1 before making the leap to the Premier League — a model Chelsea have used before with success.

Bouaddi, described as “intelligent” by Lille manager Bruno Génésio and stylistically compared to Enzo Fernández, has already been part of Lille’s senior setup for multiple seasons and is viewed as one of France’s top midfield prospects. At just 18, he has no shortage of admirers, making any deal ambitious.

Chelsea’s project would be appealing for the teenager, but he may also feel his chances of immediate regular minutes could be greater elsewhere — including at Manchester United.

Still, the Blues’ confidence suggests they believe they can get this one over the line.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.