Neil El Aynaoui, born on 2 July 2001 (age 25), is a Moroccan centre midfielder with RB Leipzig, where he wears the number 21 shirt. His value is put at around £17m by Transfermarkt, a fair sign of where his career now sits.
His most productive league season came with Lens in 2024-2025, when he scored eight goals in 24 appearances. That return gave him a sharper profile than the usual neat-and-tidy midfield label, and helped carry him towards bigger moves.
In 2026-2027, El Aynaoui made one league appearance for Roma before moving on to RB Leipzig, where he has made eight league appearances and remains a regular first-team presence. He has also been involved with Morocco this season, making six World Cup appearances and three in African World Cup qualifying.
El Aynaoui is still in the building phase of a solid European career: established enough to matter at club level, involved internationally, and young enough for the next step to remain open.
