Manchester City have reached a full agreement with Lille to sign midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Fabrizio Romano, in a deal reported to be worth up to €100 million including add-ons. The move brings to an end a transfer saga that has run through much of the summer, with City finally getting it over the line following the sale of Rodri to Barcelona.
Bouaddi has been a City target since late July, with talks progressing steadily rather than in one quick burst. Personal terms were settled relatively early in proceedings, with the midfielder reportedly signing on until 2031, but the fee proved to be the sticking point for weeks. Lille had pushed for a figure around the symbolic €100 million mark for their 18-year-old captain-in-waiting, a huge number for a player his age, and City ultimately came to meet that valuation rather than negotiate it down significantly.
The teenager’s rise has been extraordinary by any standard. Born in Senlis and developed through Lille’s academy, Bouaddi broke into the first team as a 16-year-old and quickly became a fixture in the side, dictating tempo from deep in a manner that has drawn favourable comparisons to some of the finest midfielders in the game. His performances for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup only intensified the chase, with Arsenal and Real Madrid both credited with checking on his situation before City pulled clear as the frontrunners.
He arrives at the Etihad as the club’s second major midfield addition of the window, following the earlier signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Together, the pair are expected to help fill the considerable void left by Rodri’s exit, with Enzo Maresca keen to build his midfield around younger legs suited to his possession-based style of play. Bouaddi was left out of Lille’s squad to face Angers this weekend, with the move now expected to be formally confirmed in the coming days once a medical has been completed.