Manchester City Eye Lille Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi

Manchester City are edging forward in their pursuit of one of Europe’s most in-demand young midfielders, with Lille sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi now firmly on their radar for next summer.

The 18-year-old lit up this summer’s World Cup, starting in all but one of Morocco’s matches as they battled their way to the quarter-finals. It was a staggering rise for a player who had only just broken into the national team in the weeks before the tournament, riding the momentum of a standout season with Lille.

In France, Bouaddi was already a known talent. Last season he helped drive Lille to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and secure a coveted Champions League spot, his maturity in midfield belying his age. On the international stage, he announced himself to everyone else.

City push as Lille brace

Manchester City are understood to be making concrete progress in talks for Bouaddi, with new Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti confirming that negotiations are under way and that the interest extends beyond just the Premier League champions.

“Of course, there are negotiations. Many clubs are interested in him,” Ancelotti told Ouest France, acknowledging the scale of the chase.

City, though, appear to be in the driving seat. A price tag of around €100m (£85.5m) has been floated as the figure likely to unlock the deal, a number that underlines just how highly Lille value their teenage midfielder.

The speculation intensified over the weekend when Bouaddi played only 45 minutes in a pre-season clash with Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium. In France, the limited game time immediately triggered questions: was Lille already protecting a prized asset ahead of a record sale?

Ancelotti pushed back on that narrative, at least publicly.

“He is a very, very good player and I hope he will stay with us,” he said. “The season starts next week and I consider him a player at my disposal.”

On the decision to withdraw Bouaddi at half-time against Everton, Ancelotti was adamant it was a matter of management, not the market.

“He was physically ready to play and he did play 45 minutes – but that’s only because I have to manage his playing time.”

Lille’s season begins under a cloud of uncertainty

Lille open their Ligue 1 campaign with a trip to Angers on Sunday afternoon, but the build-up to that fixture is now dominated by one question: will Bouaddi still be their player by the time the serious football starts to bite?

For now, Ancelotti insists he is planning with the midfielder in his squad. Manchester City, though, rarely circle for long without landing their target.