Man City agree £86m deal for teen midfielder Bouaddi

What the report says

Manchester City have reached a deal in principle to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in a transfer worth 100m euros, or about £85.6m, according to BBC Sport Football. The 18-year-old Morocco international is expected to complete his move to England after Lille accepted a package made up of an initial fee and add-ons. BBC Sport said it had reported earlier in the week that talks between the clubs were at an advanced stage.

The agreement comes as City look to reshape their midfield. The BBC reported that the club have already sold Rodri to Barcelona and Tijjani Reinders to Al-Qadsiah, and that central midfield has become a priority area for strengthening. City are also said to remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, while they have already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Bouaddi has built a strong reputation at Lille after breaking into the first team at 16 and making 88 appearances for the club. BBC Sport noted that he impressed at the recent World Cup, where he started five of Morocco’s six matches in their run to the quarter-finals, and also featured in Lille’s Champions League win over Real Madrid in 2024. The move would add another highly rated young midfielder to City’s squad ahead of their Premier League opener against Bournemouth.