Ayyoub Bouaddi has agreed personal terms with Manchester City, and the club are now trying to turn that into a deal with Lille. The 18-year-old would prefer to move now rather than wait until 2027, which leaves the fee and add-ons as the remaining problem. Bouaddi made 35 starts and five substitute appearances across Ligue 1 and Europa League in 2025-26.
Bouaddi's rise at Lille
The appeal is not hard to see. Bouaddi is 18, but Lille already used him heavily last season, and he did not look like a player being eased in. Thirty-five starts and five substitute appearances across two competitions is a proper workload for a teenager, not a cameo-driven development path.
He has also already started five times for Morocco at the World Cup at the same age. That is the sort of senior-level trust clubs notice quickly, especially when a player is being targeted as an immediate addition rather than a long-term project.
City want him now
Romano said: "Ayyoub Bouaddi and his camp have now reached an agreement on personal terms with Manchester City. #MCFC expected to seal the deal with Lille as next step, already advanced as Bouaddi preference would be to join City NOW — rather than in 2027."
The price is where the movement still has to happen. Reports differ on the figure, with some outlets putting the discussion in the €70m-€80m range, others higher, but the important point is that City are not done until Lille accept the shape of the deal.
The wider context is a midfield reset. City transfer reporting has Bouaddi in that frame after the departure of Rodri to Barcelona is expected to be confirmed later this week. That does not make Bouaddi a Rodri replacement in any neat sense, but it does show why City are pushing hard for another young midfielder now.
Romano's line is the key one here. City already have the player onside, Bouaddi wants the move immediately, and the only real obstacle left is making Lille comfortable enough to sell.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
