As Ayyoub Bouaddi continues to impress at the World Cup, Lille chairman Olivier Letang has suggested he will cost interested parties an eye-watering amount of money.
The 18-year-old has played a big role in another successful run for Morocco at the World Cup, with the African nation into the quarter-finals.
The teenager has started four of the matches stateside, including the two knockout successes so far against Netherlands and Canada.
This summer comes after two seasons in the Lille first team, which have seen Bouaddi rack up nearly 100 senior appearances at such a young age.
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Unsurprisingly big clubs are showing an interest in the teenage star, with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich all believed to be keen on him.
Letang knows he has an extremely valuable asset on his hands and will not let him leave unless an enormous bid comes in.
The Lille chairman has pointed out the enormous price tags placed on Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali this summer and suggests Bouaddi should be in the same category.
Manchester City have spent £116m to bring Anderson in from Nottingham Forest, while Spurs have forked out £100m to sign Tonali from Newcastle.
Speaking to Eurosport, Letang said: ‘Many clubs are interested in him, but very few can afford him right now.
‘He’s already one of the best midfielders in the world and still has significant room for improvement. He’s only 18 and has his whole future ahead of him. He’s focused on continuing to develop and winning everything.’
It had been reported that Lille were looking for somewhere between £69m and £89m for Bouaddi, but Letang suggests it would take more than that to sign the midfielder.
Asked if those figures were accurate, he said: ‘How to answer that question… Have I spoken, brought up the subject, given a figure? No, never.
‘You have to look at his level. How much have players like Anderson or Tonali been sold for, who are much older, but without room for improvement, so you have an idea of the value of Ayyoub, who has a unique profile at only 18 years old.’
Letang has not been afraid to compare the teenager to some enormous names, both in football and in other fields.
‘Having worked with him for over three years, I can say he’s an extraordinary young man, unique in every way,’ he said of Bouaddi. ‘He belongs among the true sportsmen like Victor Wembanyama, Paul Seixas, Leon Marchand, or Kylian Mbappe.’
He added: ‘I could mention Rodri, Sergio Busquets, (Johan) Cruyff, (Albert) Einstein, (Lothar) Matthaus, etc. But Ayyoub is unique and is himself, so he shouldn’t be compared.’