Lille want Ayyoub Bouaddi to stay for at least another season, and Olivier Letang has said so plainly. Manchester City are pushing hardest, Arsenal are watching, and the teenager's contract runs until June 2029.

Lille's public line

Letang's comments leave little room for guesswork. "Anything is still possible, but in my opinion, he should stay with us for another season," he told thehardtackle.com. He also said he had refused talks with clubs during the World Cup and that there was "no rush".

That stance matters because Lille are not talking about an unsettled player with little protection. Bouaddi already has the long deal in place, and the club are telling rivals they can wait.

Bouaddi's rise and the price problem

The chase makes more sense once you look at what Bouaddi has already done. Goal reported that he became the youngest player in Ligue 1 history to reach 50 league appearances, overtaking Eden Hazard. It also said he became the second-youngest player ever to start a World Cup quarter-final, behind only Pele.

His World Cup run was not a token one either. Bouaddi played five matches, logged 390 minutes and started all five games listed. Lille finished third in Ligue 1, which explains why they are in no mood to sell on the cheap.

The sticking point is the fee. One report puts Lille's asking price at around £85m, while another places the immediate-transfer figure at €100 million. Those are not quite the same number, but they both point to the same problem for City: this is an expensive deal for an 18-year-old, even one with Bouaddi's profile.

Manchester City are the most advanced suitor in the reporting, and that fits the broader picture of a club still looking to keep refreshing the squad. Pep Guardiola has already warned that young players do not always stay satisfied if they are not playing, and that recruitment has to be as close to perfect as possible. For now, though, Lille are setting the terms.

The real question is not whether Bouaddi has attracted elite interest. He clearly has. It is whether City, or anyone else, are prepared to meet Lille's valuation while the French club are still saying he should stay another year.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →