Neil El Aynaoui on his way out: Lens bets on a Montenegrin talent

Racing Club de Lens, facing a complicated season, is active on the transfer market to strengthen its squad and prepare for the future, but the club could also lose several key players this winter, such as Khusanov, Danso or Neil El Aynaoui, their promising young 23-year-old moroccan midfielder. Indeed, the French club is planning to secure the services of Andrija Bulatovic. The young 17-year-old Montenegrin talent, playing for FK Podgorica, is about to sign for two million euros, according to the mercato specialist Fabrizio Romano.

Lens would have thus overtaken Dinamo Zagreb, renowned for scouting and developing young talents. A situation that will force the French club to sell certain players in order to stabilize its finances. The arrival of Bulatovic reflects the Blood and Gold’s new strategy of investing in players with high potential.

With his good contribution to the team and great performance in the last games, Neil El Aynaoui had established himself as a key element of the Lens midfield. The probable departure of the young Moroccan would leave a significant void, but the club hopes that with promising recruits like Bulatovic, to maintain a competitive dynamic despite a disappointing first half of the season.

Neil El Aynaoui has been linked to a departure before. Last summer, he was close to joining AS Monaco, which made a €17 million offer. However, the transfer was canceled after a medical examination revealed a knee issue. Since undergoing surgery, El Aynaoui has returned to action for Lens. Reflecting on the situation in early September, the Moroccan midfielder told L’Équipe: “I didn’t plan ahead. Leaving Lens would have been complicated. I feel very good here; I’m happy. I also understand Monaco: when you spend a certain amount, you want the player to be immediately operational.”

Since his return from injury, Neil El Aynaoui has regained his peak level. The Lens midfielder has played 8 Ligue 1 games this season, delivering solid performances that he crowned by a goal in the last Ligue 1 match, thus proving that he remains a valuable player for the Blood and Gold squad.

Une 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆 qui est de 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 🎯

Bien servi dans la surface, le milieu Neil El Aynaoui 𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐭 de son pied 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐭 ouvre la marque pour les Lensois !#AJARCL pic.twitter.com/z2xPCnbWjx

— Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) December 16, 2024