AS Roma signed Neil El Aynaoui from Lens last summer and the midfielder has now caught the attention of Crystal Palace.
In the 2025/26 campaign, the 25-year-old played less than 1000 minutes in Serie A. However, his high-energy approach to the game was well suited to Gian Piero Gasperini’s system.
At the World Cup, El Aynaoui made a mark. He was a regular in midfield for Morocco and showed he can operate at the highest level.
Sport Witness have previously covered Everton’s interest in El Aynaoui, who is now a possible target for Crystal Palace.
Roma want the right money
La Repubblica – via VoceGiallorossa, report Roma could yet lose another player before the transfer window closes. El Aynaoui is a possible candidate, as he didn’t start for Gasperini’s side in their dominant 4-0 win over Fiorentina on Monday.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia are monitoring the midfielder and Crystal Palace are also interested.
Roma currently value the Moroccan at €35m, which will hand them a significant capital gain. More than that, it will allow them to make another signing, which Gasperini wants.
El Aynaoui is seen as one of the most expendable players in the squad. The lack of minutes against Fiorentina and last season are a fair reflection of that.
Our take: Player is a good fit for English football
The former Lens player thrives on covering distance on the pitch and marauding up and down. While he can play in a midfield two, he can easily slot into an attacking midfield role as well. Apart from that, he also does well at picking the right passes in midfield and breaking the opposition down.
This will make El Aynaoui a very reliable signing for Crystal Palace. He clearly needs to be at a club where he can play more often and that isn’t possible at Roma.
The Eagles will offer him European football and the Giallorossi’s price tag shouldn’t be a huge problem either.
