Manchester City Sign Ayyoub Bouaddi for €95million
Manchester City have struck a deal with Lille to sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in a move that reshapes the heart of their midfield.
City will pay an initial €95million (£81.4m; $110m), with a further €5m (£4.3m; $5.8m) in add-ons, for the 18-year-old, who will sign a contract until 2031 with an option for an extra year at the Etihad Stadium.
It is an aggressive move for one of Europe’s most coveted young midfielders and comes in the middle of a major overhaul in that area of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Midfield torn down, rebuilt around a teenager
Bouaddi’s arrival follows the sale of Rodri to Barcelona for an initial €60m (£51.2m; $68.8m), a departure that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Bernardo Silva has also left at the end of his contract, while Tijjani Reijnders has departed for Al Qadsiah. The Athletic has reported that Newcastle United are in talks to sign Nico Gonzalez.
City have not only cleared space. They have spent big. Elliot Anderson joined earlier in the summer from Nottingham Forest in a £116m ($153m) deal, another statement signing in a rebuilt engine room that now adds Bouaddi’s energy and control.
City’s pursuit of the Moroccan has been relentless. The Athletic revealed in July that the Premier League champions were pushing hard to convince him to leave France, with the player weighing up his next step after his emergence at Lille.
From Lille prodigy to World Cup stage
Bouaddi’s rise has been rapid and ruthless. He became Lille’s youngest-ever player at just 16 years and three days, debuting in a Conference League tie in September 2023 after progressing through the club’s academy. He had been recruited in 2021 by Luis Carlos, now Paris Saint-Germain’s football advisor.
By the 2025-26 campaign, his third full senior season, he had become a mainstay. Bouaddi made 42 appearances in all competitions, registering one assist as Lille finished third in Ligue 1 and booked a place in the Champions League.
His club form carried onto the international stage. This summer he starred for Morocco at the World Cup, starting five of their six matches in a run to the quarterfinals. In the group-stage draw against Brazil, he had more touches than any of his teammates in a 1-1 result, dictating the rhythm against one of the tournament favourites.
Bouaddi only made his senior international debut for Morocco in May, having previously represented France from under-16 to under-21 level before switching allegiance.
Now, at 18, he walks into a Manchester City midfield that has been stripped back and rebuilt at enormous cost. The fee, the contract length, the timing — all of it points in one direction.
City are betting that the next era of their midfield will belong to Ayyoub Bouaddi.
