The Moroccan Defender Wanted by Liverpool
On the links to 19-year-old Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal
If your playing style, as a central defender, is most similar to Joel Matip’s, then you're guaranteed to be a bundle of fun. Slightly unconventional, as well as extremely entertaining, but very well-rounded and complete.
The list of young footballers being ‘tracked’ by an elite football club is probably endless. We’re familiar with all of the buzzwords. Liverpool are ‘monitoring…’, Liverpool ‘admire…’, ‘Liverpool have ‘made contact with…’. You’ll even, refreshingly, read some stranger variations when reports originate from a foreign source. Usually adhere to the romantic theme: “Liverpool are flirting with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.”
So merely pointing out that 19-year-old centre-back Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, currently contracted to French side Rennes, is on Liverpool’s radar wouldn’t be particularly noteworthy. He’s just played as Morocco’s captain (extremely well) in the U20 African Cup of Nations, as they reached the final. The top sides will do their due diligence on every single player at these youth tournaments.
Moroccan sources are adamant that this one is far more advanced than just another name on a never-ending shortlist. Le360 Sport say that our interest is ‘concrete’, while Newcastle United’s representatives went as far as meeting with Boudlal, last month, after the tournament ended. I’ll tell you why I believe that this rumour has legs:
LFC’s Global Talent Scouting Manager, Kyle Wallbanks, was spotted in Egypt at several matches during the competition, with Liverpool allegedly keen to expand its scouting presence in Africa and South America.
It’s no secret that Liverpool have liked the youngster for a while either. The club’s academy took part in the Mohamed VI Academy Cup in February of last year, a 12-team tournament in Sale, Morocco, locking horns with a then-17-year-old Boudlal. He was playing for Moroccan football academy side ‘Mohamed VI’ (named after their King) and left quite the impression with his performances.
*That academy is extremely prestigious in Africa with its elite level coaching and state-of-the-art facilities; it remains committed to identifying and nurturing talent from underprivileged areas. Graduates include Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri and West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd.*
For whatever reason, potentially UK work permit complications, Liverpool didn’t swoop in last summer and Boudlal signed for Stade Rennais in July. It’s worth mentioning that he did turn 18 in the April of 2024; the stricter post-Brexit visa laws, for under-18 talents, wouldn’t have been applicable.
Enough of the dilly-dallying, anyways, let’s dive into Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal: