​As the final week of the transfer window begins, Crystal Palace still have work to do in order to prepare Pierre Sage’s squad for the new season. Whilst doubts over the futures of both Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, incomings are needed, and on Monday, Palace were linked with a double swoop for two Moroccan internationals. Santi Aouna broke the news on Monday that Palace were eyeing both Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Neil El Aynaoui to bolster Sage’s squad. Ait Boudlal is a central defender who plays in France with Stade Rennais, whilst El Aynaoui plays in central midfield for AS Roma in Italy. Here’s everything you need to know about the Moroccan duo and what they could bring to Palace. Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal deep diveAit Boudlal is a 20-year-old central defender, and looks set to become the next production of the Stade Rennais talent line. Ait Boudlal is a graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, the same academy that produced the likes of Nayef Aguerd, Youssouf En-Nesyri and Azzedine Ounahi.Standing at 6”3, Ait Boudlal is an aggressive, front-footed defender. He’s a very raw talent, and his age does show at times when diving into challenges or making the wrong decisions with the ball at his feet. Aerially he is extraordinarily dominant, which is unsurprising considering his height. This also allows him to be a threat inside the opposing box. Despite his age, Ait Boudlal reads the game well, and for the most part is able to step in and win the ball consistently.There are occasions when his youthful nature shows through, and he dives in which leaves his side exposed defensively, although that is to be expected from such a young player. His blocking is probably the standout feature of his defensive play, consistently preventing opponents from releasing shots or blocking them at source to protect his ‘keeper and goal. He seems to favour long clearances over maintaining possession, and he often comes across as quite rushed in his defensive play. On the ball he is relatively average amongst other players in his position, but he does demonstrate confidence with his long passing at times. Ait Boudlal is more so one for the future rather than the finished product, but he is an exciting talent nonetheless. He’d likely cost in the region of £10m-£15m and would be a shrewd investment for the future. Neil El Aynaoui deep dive Neil El Aynaoui is a much more experienced player than Ait Boudlal. The 25-year-old midfielder played at RC Lens before he signed for AS Roma in the summer of 2025 for around £20m. El Aynaoui is a hard working box-to-box midfielder who profiles similarly to Declan Rice and Johnny Cardoso; tireless running, good technical ability and strong defensively. He played almost every minute for Morocco at the World Cup, putting in notable displays against both Scotland and the Netherlands. At 6”1, he’s an excellent physical profile, and his athleticism sees him cover ground well to recover and defend