Romain Perraud Scout Report — From Real Betis to Lille, Ancelotti’s First-Choice Left-Back
Lille OSC’s French left-back Romain Perraud, signed from Real Betis for around €3 million in the summer of 2025, has established himself as the undisputed first-choice left-back under new head coach Davide Ancelotti in 2026-27, following his debut season at the club. Born in Toulouse on 22 September 1997, the 29-year-old defender stands 1.73m tall and is left-footed; before settling at Lille he had spells at Nice, Brest, Southampton, Nice again (on loan) and Real Betis.
From Toulouse to the Premier League
Perraud began his football journey at Blagnac and Toulouse Fontaines before developing at US Colomiers, joining Nice’s academy in 2014. He made 65 appearances and scored 9 goals for Nice’s reserve side between 2015 and 2018, and made his senior debut in the Europa League on 8 December 2016. Loaned to Paris FC in 2018, he made 33 league appearances and scored 5 goals, netting his first for the club in a 2-1 win over Metz on 22 September 2018. He signed a four-year deal with Brest in August 2019, scoring 3 goals in 56 league matches across two seasons, before moving to Premier League side Southampton for an undisclosed fee on 2 July 2021, where he made 49 league appearances and scored twice over three seasons. An ankle injury suffered away at Bournemouth on 27 April 2023 ended that season early; he returned to Nice on a season-long loan on 28 August 2023 (19 league appearances), before joining Real Betis in Spain on 24 June 2024, where he scored twice in 28 La Liga games.
Back to Lille, and Ancelotti’s Trust
Perraud returned to France on 8 August 2025, joining Lille from Real Betis for a reported €3 million. In his debut season (2025-26) he made 30 league appearances and scored 3 goals, totalling 41 official matches including cup and Europa League fixtures. With Davide Ancelotti’s arrival as head coach for 2026-27, Perraud became the clear first choice at left-back. He came off the bench for Calvin Verdonk, who had started the season opener away at Toulouse (3 September 2026, 0-1), and set up Ayase Ueda’s 73rd-minute headed winner — the goal that sent Lille top of the table at the start of the campaign. Perraud started four of Lille’s first five league matches and, as of 30 October 2026, had made 11 official appearances this season (9 in Ligue 1, 2 in the Champions League) without a goal or assist.
Injury Scare Against Le Havre, Tough Night at Arsenal
Perraud was substituted in the 73rd minute, replaced by Calvin Verdonk, after picking up an injury during Lille’s 1-0 win over Le Havre on 10 October 2026. After a brief spell out, he returned to the starting line-up for the Champions League trip to Arsenal on 13 October 2026, a match Lille lost 0-3. French media reported that much of Arsenal’s danger that night came down Perraud’s flank, with the experienced left-back struggling throughout.
Having only represented France at youth level (22 caps and 2 goals across the U17 to U20 age groups) and never earning a senior cap at 29, Perraud brings experience rather than international pedigree to Lille’s left flank, where he continues to hold off competition from Calvin Verdonk under Ancelotti. The priority for the club is limiting the kind of defensive exposure seen against Arsenal while keeping him fit and consistent across Ligue 1 and European competition.
