Monaco reach €15m+ agreement with Lens for Neil El Aynaoui

Foot Mercato and Le Parisien report that Lens defensive midfielder Neil El Aynaoui (23) is set to sign for Ligue 1 rivals Monaco after both clubs had found an agreement on principle. The Artois side is set to receive a hefty return on investment after signing the Morocco U23 international last season from Nancy for €600k. The outlet understands that El Aynaoui’s transfer fee ranges between €15m and €20m including bonuses.

The midfielder is set to replace the departing Youssouf Fofana (25) with the Principality side setting a €35m price tag for the Manchester United and AC Milan target, as exclusively revealed by Get French Football News. El Aynaoui is set to sign a four-year contract with the Champions League-playing Monaco team. Nancy are also set to receive a percentage of the 23-year-old’s transfer fee.

It had been previously reported that Lens were expecting to sell El Aynaoui for around €20m whilst Monaco submitted an opening €13m. Eventually, the two clubs settled for a fee higher than €15m but below the €20m mark.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval