Palace weigh late-window moves for Roma midfielder and Rennes defender

Crystal Palace are considering moves for Morocco internationals Neil El Aynaoui and Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal as they look to strengthen their squad before the transfer window closes.

With one week remaining in the market, clubs across Europe’s Big Five leagues are working behind the scenes to complete their final signings. Palace have identified midfield and defence as areas requiring reinforcement after a disappointing start to their Premier League campaign.

The club’s most recent setback came on Saturday, when they were beaten 2-0 by Everton. According to Foot Mercato, Palace have subsequently placed El Aynaoui and Ait Boudlal on their list of potential targets.

El Aynaoui, 25, currently plays for AS Roma, while Ait Boudlal, 20, is with Stade Rennais. The Rennes defender is thought to be of particular interest as Palace assess how to cover for the worrying knee injury suffered by Morocco team-mate Chadi Riad last weekend.

The two players are reportedly open to the possibility of moving to England. Both are said to view the Premier League as the most competitive domestic competition in world football and would welcome the opportunity to test themselves there.

AS Roma may also be willing to consider selling El Aynaoui. The Italian club are understood to need to raise funds and could be prepared to part with a player regarded as a valuable asset, having signed him from RC Lens last summer.

El Aynaoui is under contract with AS Roma until 2030 and is valued at 30m euros by Transfermarkt. The midfielder has 22 Morocco caps and has scored two international goals. He is also described as a member of the Morocco side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

Ait Boudlal, meanwhile, was left out of the Morocco squad for that World Cup. He has made one senior appearance for his country, featuring in the 4-0 friendly victory against Angola on 18 November 2025.

The defender remains under contract at Stade Rennais until 2028 and has been valued at 12m euros. If Palace were to sign both players, the combined cost could be approximately 40m euros.

Palace’s interest comes with the final week of the window approaching, meaning any negotiations would need to progress quickly if the club are to complete deals for the two Morocco internationals.

El Aynaoui’s experience at international level and with AS Roma would offer Palace an additional midfield option, while Ait Boudlal could provide defensive cover following Riad’s injury. However, no agreement has been reported for either player, and the potential moves remain at an early stage.