Man City agree £86m deal for teenage midfielder Bouaddi

Manchester City have agreed a deal in principle worth €100m (£85.6m) to sign 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

BBC Sport reported earlier this week that City and Lille were in advanced negotiations over a move for the Morocco international.

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An agreement is now in place, with Bouaddi set to complete his move to England after Lille accepted an initial fee of £81.4m, plus £4.2m in potential add-ons.

City have made strengthening central midfield a priority after losing Rodri to Barcelona for £65m and Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah for £52m.

The Premier League champions have also signed England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m and remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

City host Bournemouth in their Premier League opener on Sunday after losing last weekend’s Community Shield to Arsenal.

Who is Bouaddi?

Bouaddi emerged as one of Morocco’s standout players at this summer’s World Cup, starting five of their six matches as they reached the quarter-finals.

His reputation had already grown after he played a key role in Lille’s Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024.

A deep-lying midfielder capable of controlling play from the centre, Bouaddi could complement Anderson, who can operate both as a box-to-box midfielder and in the No. 6 position for England.

Bouaddi has made 88 appearances for Lille since making his senior debut in October 2023, just days after his 16th birthday.

He helped Lille finish third in Ligue 1 last season and has continued to break records at the club.

He became Lille’s youngest-ever player when he made his senior debut against KI shortly after turning 16.

On his 17th birthday, Bouaddi was serenaded by supporters at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy after helping Lille defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League.

He later surpassed a record previously held by Eden Hazard by reaching 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille at just 18.

City’s decision to invest heavily in the teenager underlines their belief that Bouaddi can become a key figure in their midfield for years to come.