El Aynaoui: Morocco's Midfield Marvel at the World Cup
Neil El Aynaoui did not arrive at this World Cup as Morocco’s headline act. He might just leave it as one of the tournament’s defining midfielders.
All the early noise around Walid Regragui’s squad centred on Ayyoub Bouaddi, the teenage prodigy already courted by Europe’s elite. Bouaddi was supposed to be the story. Instead, it is the older, quieter presence alongside him who has ripped up the script.
El Aynaoui has been the engine, the metronome and the enforcer rolled into one. Game after game, he has driven Morocco’s midfield with a mix of authority and elegance that has jolted recruitment departments across Europe into action.
A World Cup coming‑of‑age
The turning point, in the eyes of many scouts, came against Brazil and the Netherlands. On paper, these were nights when Morocco’s midfield might have been overrun. On the pitch, El Aynaoui made sure the opposite happened.
Up against Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes, then Ryan Gravenberch and Frenkie de Jong, he did not just survive. He dictated. He set the tempo, snapped into tackles, then demanded the ball again to build the next move. Defensive discipline, calm in possession, serious athletic power – the full package, on the biggest stage.
Those performances have crystallised what some clubs already suspected: this is a midfielder ready for a bigger role than the one he currently holds in Rome.
Roma’s underused asset
El Aynaoui only joined Roma from Lens last summer, a 25-year-old entering his prime and expected to become a central pillar in Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. He featured in more than 30 matches in his debut campaign and helped Roma to a third-place finish in Serie A.
Yet he did not start as often as many inside the game anticipated. For a player with his profile and energy, too many of those appearances came from the bench. It raised eyebrows, and not just among fans.
Inside boardrooms and scouting meetings, that limited starting role has been interpreted as an opportunity. Clubs sense there is value to be found in a midfielder whose stock with supporters and analysts is rising faster than his status on the team sheet at the Stadio Olimpico.
That sense has now turned into concrete interest. Several clubs across Europe have already made contact to explore Roma’s stance, convinced they can offer El Aynaoui the regular, central role he is currently being denied.
From AFCON platform to World Cup launchpad
This World Cup surge did not come from nowhere. El Aynaoui first began to force his way into elite conversations during the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, where his performances for Morocco caught the eye of some of the continent’s most powerful clubs.
Barcelona and Real Madrid both made enquiries earlier this year, alerted by his blend of work rate and technical quality. That alone underlined the level at which he is now being assessed.
Carry that form onto the World Cup stage, and the reaction was inevitable. Premier League interest has moved from curiosity to urgency.
Intermediaries have now spoken with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Sunderland about the midfielder’s situation. These are not casual name-checks. These are clubs actively searching for midfield reinforcements, looking for players who can step straight into high-intensity systems and deliver.
Those close to El Aynaoui believe this summer could open a genuine window for a move, if Roma receive the right proposal.
Everton watching their sister club closely
One club watching events with particular interest is Everton. The Friedkin Group’s ownership of both Roma and Everton gives the Premier League side a front-row seat to El Aynaoui’s development and current standing inside the Italian club.
Any move between the two teams would demand careful handling. Roma still see El Aynaoui as a player with significant upside and are not under pressure to sell. But as the calls from England grow louder, their resolve will be tested.
The question hanging over Roma is a simple one: if they rate him so highly, can they afford to keep using him as a rotation option while his reputation explodes elsewhere?
The surprise at his limited minutes is not confined to outside observers. Former Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia, who tried to sign El Aynaoui before his move to Italy, has already voiced what many in the game are thinking.
“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 Roma than I would have expected. I had tried to sign him for my Marseille, but he cost too much.”
Those words have only sharpened the sense that a market inefficiency is emerging. A midfielder with Champions League potential, World Cup pedigree and a relatively modest starting role at his current club is a rare find.
For Premier League sporting directors, that is the definition of opportunity.
A summer decision with long-term consequences
With every commanding World Cup performance, El Aynaoui’s name moves higher up shortlists. Scouts who flagged him during AFCON now have the ultimate validation on the biggest stage in the sport.
Roma must decide whether this is the moment to cash in on a player whose value may never be higher, or whether they reshape their midfield hierarchy around him and shut the door on suitors.
For the clubs circling in England, the equation is just as clear. Move now, or risk watching a complete modern midfielder slip into someone else’s engine room and stay there for the next five years.
