Neil El Aynaoui

Neil El Aynaoui was used as a rotation midfielder for Roma in Serie A, making 25 appearances but only eight starts. His return of one league goal points to a supporting role rather than a regular attacking contribution, while five yellow cards suggest he was involved in the more physical side of midfield work. He also added nine Europa League appearances and one goal, giving him a broader squad role across the season.

El Aynaoui’s career path has been a clear upward progression: Nancy to Lens, then Lens to Roma by the age of 24. The standout spell came at Lens, where he followed one goal in 2023-24 with eight in 2024-25 before earning the move to Italy. That trajectory points to a midfielder who improved his output enough to move from development profile to major-league investment.

The transfer record shows a sharp rise in value. Lens paid €510,000 to sign El Aynaoui from Nancy in 2023, then sold him to Roma for €21m two years later. That jump suggests Lens turned him into a high-value asset quickly, and Roma’s fee placed him firmly in the category of first-team squad investment rather than speculative depth.