Man City Complete £86m Bouaddi Signing From Lille

Manchester City have completed the signing of Morocco international, Ayyoub Bouaddi, from Lille in an £85.6m deal, making the 18-year-old the Premier League’s most expensive teenager.

Bouaddi has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League champions, subject to international clearance, with City paying £81.4m upfront and a further £4.2m in add-ons.

Enzo Maresca’s side moved for the midfielder after selling Rodri to Barcelona for £65m and Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah for £52m, leaving a gap in the centre of the park.

Bouaddi impressed at this summer’s World Cup, starting five of Morocco’s six matches as the Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals, having already established himself as a key figure in Lille’s Ligue 1 side.

“This is a very special day for me and my family. Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world. It’s a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player,” Bouaddi said.

He added that he had spent most of his life working to reach the top of the game and had long admired City’s style of play, describing the club as “built to win.”

The fee eclipses the £58.9m Manchester United paid Lille for French defender, Leny Yoro, in 2024.

Bouaddi made 96 appearances for Lille after his 2023 debut, helping the club finish third in Ligue 1 last season. He became Lille’s youngest-ever senior player at 16 when he featured against Faroese side, KI, in the Europa League, before starring in Lille’s Champions League win over Real Madrid in 2024.

He joins England midfielder Elliot Anderson, who arrived from Nottingham Forest for £116m, as City rebuild their midfield. Bouaddi is expected to operate as a deep-lying playmaker alongside Anderson, who can play both a box-to-box role and the number six position he occupies for England.

City are also preparing an offer for Chelsea’s Argentina midfielder, Enzo Fernandez, though it remains unclear whether a deal can be reached with the 25-year-old valued at £120m.

The Bouaddi deal follows Brazilian winger, Savinho, joining Tottenham Hotspur for £75m earlier this week. Spurs have also agreed a loan deal for City’s Egypt forward, Omar Marmoush, while Spain midfielder, Nico Gonzalez, is set to leave City for Newcastle United in a £52m move.

City’s midfield overhaul continues with Bouaddi’s arrival, coming in the wake of Rodri’s departure after the Spaniard’s Ballon d’Or-winning spell at the club.

With Rodri, Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Gonzalez all exiting this summer, Maresca is still expected to pursue further reinforcements, with Fernandez the primary target before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.