Ayyoub Bouaddi played 60 minutes as France beat Morocco 2-0 in the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday night.
William Saliba contributed to another clean sheet at the other end, snuffing out any and every danger.
Bouaddi completed 35 of his 40 passes and was tidy throughout, but he struggled to really put his stamp on the game.
He was subdued with his ball carrying, which is his main method of progression, and was subbed off at the hour mark.
It’s fine. He’s 18, and France are the best team in international football. But the performance was a reminder that as talented as Bouaddi is, he’s still raw.
👀 NAME a BETTER midfield target for Arsenal than Ayyoub Bouaddi… I bet you CAN’T…
🌟 The 18-year-old looked so good vs Brazil's at the World Cup!
Signing Ayyoub Bouaddi as a midfield option does not make sense for Arsenal right now
Data has already drawn comparisons between Bouaddi and Matteo Guendouzi in terms of playing profile, though his character and maturity couldn’t be more different.
He has an incredibly high ceiling as a player, but bringing him as cover for Declan Rice — one of the best midfielders in the world — doesn’t quite work right now.
Rice will need rest next season, and Arsenal would face situations where they need to partner Bouaddi and Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield — a combined age of 37. Inexperienced.
Ideally, Arsenal buy him and loan him back to Lille for a season or two. That would be the smart play, given it’s the same model that turned Saliba into one of the best centre-backs in the world.
If he does come to the Emirates this summer, the position that would make the most sense for him is right-back.
Arsenal are in the market there anyway, and the role could really help his development in the short term.
At full-back, he would be able to receive in the block, carry from deep, and break lines from a wider position, which is easier to do from wide areas than centrally.
Bruno Guimaraes is the right call
When the alternative is Bruno Guimaraes, a genuine needle mover who walks straight into the starting XI and immediately raises Arsenal’s level, it’s easy to understand why the Bouaddi links have cooled.
Super talents come and go. There will be more in a couple of years. Guimaraes is there right now, at his peak, and he is ready to make Arsenal better from day one.
💰 Bruno Guimaraes is turning 29 in November and has TWO years left on his contract… How much should Arsenal pay to sign him?
And it’s important Andrea Berta wraps this one up fast. Rice surely won’t be involved for at least the first couple of games next season, so having another world class midfielder play in his stead will ensure the levels don’t drop.
Then, when Rice gets fit and returns to the team, he can partner Guimaraes in what would be the best midfield in the Premier League.
Arsenal must capitalise on the instability of the other top sides right now — they have such a great opportunity to go back-to-back if they get their summer right.
That starts with signing Bruno.
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