Crystal Palace Eye Moroccan Duo In Final Week

As the final week of the transfer window begins, Crystal Palace still have work to do in order to prepare Pierre Sage’s squad for the new season. Whilst doubts over the futures of both Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, incomings are needed, and on Monday, Palace were linked with a double swoop for two Moroccan internationals. 

Santi Aouna broke the news on Monday that Palace were eyeing both Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Neil El Aynaoui to bolster Sage’s squad. Ait Boudlal is a central defender who plays in France with Stade Rennais, whilst El Aynaoui plays in central midfield for AS Roma in Italy. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Moroccan duo and what they could bring to Palace. 

Ait Boudlal is a 20-year-old central defender, and looks set to become the next production of the Stade Rennais talent line. Ait Boudlal is a graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, the same academy that produced the likes of Nayef Aguerd, Youssouf En-Nesyri and Azzedine Ounahi.

Standing at 6”3, Ait Boudlal is an aggressive, front-footed defender. He’s a very raw talent, and his age does show at times when diving into challenges or making the wrong decisions with the ball at his feet. 

Aerially he is extraordinarily dominant, which is unsurprising considering his height. This also allows him to be a threat inside the opposing box. Despite his age, Ait Boudlal reads the game well, and for the most part is able to step in and win the ball consistently.

There are occasions when his youthful nature shows through, and he dives in which leaves his side exposed defensively, although that is to be expected from such a young player. 

His blocking is probably the standout feature of his defensive play, consistently preventing opponents from releasing shots or blocking them at source to protect his ‘keeper and goal. 

He seems to favour long clearances over maintaining possession, and he often comes across as quite rushed in his defensive play. On the ball he is relatively average amongst other players in his position, but he does demonstrate confidence with his long passing at times. 

Ait Boudlal is more so one for the future rather than the finished product, but he is an exciting talent nonetheless. He’d likely cost in the region of £10m-£15m and would be a shrewd investment for the future. 

Neil El Aynaoui is a much more experienced player than Ait Boudlal. The 25-year-old midfielder played at RC Lens before he signed for AS Roma in the summer of 2025 for around £20m. 

El Aynaoui is a hard working box-to-box midfielder who profiles similarly to Declan Rice and Johnny Cardoso; tireless running, good technical ability and strong defensively. 

He played almost every minute for Morocco at the World Cup, putting in notable displays against both Scotland and the Netherlands. 

At 6”1, he’s an excellent physical profile, and his athleticism sees him cover ground well to recover and defend ahead of his backline. 

Last season he averaged just 40 minutes per game in Serie A, and could look to move for more guarantees of starting football. 

He makes very few mistakes on the ball, 

and his range of passing is very strong too, consistently breaking the lines with long, floated passes into the wide areas. He demands the ball in a similar fashion to Adam Wharton, but offers much greater ground coverage, consistently looking to drive forward after releasing the ball. 

Often occupying the space between central defenders, El Aynaoui’s role in the side is to move the ball with pace and put his side on the front foot at every opportunity. 

Defensively he is also very strong. His height and frame allow him to wrap his legs around opponents, and often when watching him you see him go to ground well and not only win the ball but maintain possession too. 

Flaws of his game can be seen through his discipline and concentration. His aggressive defending sees him concede fouls in poor areas, and he gets booked frequently too. 

His high-energy would suit Pierre Sage’s system well, but he would likely be withdrawn towards the end of games as he consistently fades towards the end of 90 minutes due to the intensity he plays with. 

El Aynaoui would probably be gettable for around £25m-£30m, and may offer a slightly cheaper alternative and a more physically dominating profile to the likes of Lamine Camara. 

Both players would be smart additions to Palace’s squad, but if only one was to be targeted with full throttle I’d tilt towards El Aynaoui due to Palace’s need for starting quality in midfield, and the instant impact he could have on the side.