Introducing Neil El Aynaoui, born on 2 July 2001, and currently 24 years old. This French-born athlete serves primarily as a central midfielder for Serie A team Roma, standing at 6ft 1in (1.86m) and weighing in at 12st 3lb (78kg). Carrying the number 8 on his jersey, El Aynaoui is also an international player, having represented the Morocco national team along his journey through the sport.
According to the trusted Transfermarkt, his current market value is an estimated £17m.
El Aynaoui’s professional career truly kicked off in July 2020, with a start at Ligue 2 team Nancy in his native France. His debut season for 2021-2022 saw him making 24 first-team appearances and finding the back of the net twice in league matches. In his second season with Nancy, the midfielder only elevated his game, making 33 first team appearances and scoring four goals.
Spreading his wings in July 2023, El Aynaoui transferred from Nancy to fellow French team Lens in the more elite Ligue 1, for a transfer fee of around £510k. Across two seasons at Lens, he made 49 league appearances and scored a total of nine goals.
This promising talent was next snapped up by Italian heavyweights Roma in Serie A for the tidy sum of £21m in July 2025. Currently in the 2025-2026 season at Roma, El Aynaoui has made 12 first-team appearances in league matches and continues to impress.
On an international level, El Aynaoui has turned heads as well, participating in the World Cup Qualifiers Africa 2024-2026 for Morocco with three starts to his name, and in the Europa League 2025-2026 for Roma, where he has scored one goal in six starts.
