Manchester City are edging closer to Ayyoub Bouaddi, with Lille holding firm on a valuation of around €100million, or £85m and €114m. TEAMtalk says City are close to finalising the deal, with only minor details left to resolve. The biggest shift is that Bouaddi has told Lille he is ready to move now rather than stay on loan for another season.
Lille's price and City's push
That fee would put the move in rare company for a teenager. Bouaddi is only 18, and the deal would eclipse Romeo Lavia's £53million move to Chelsea in 2023 as the most expensive teenage midfielder in football history.
Olivier Letang has made Lille's position plain. Speaking to teamtalk.com, he said: "I have a price in mind, and we'll see what happens." He also pointed to other big midfield moves, saying: "When I see Anderson move to Manchester City for £116 million and Tonali to Tottenham for £100 million, and they don't have the potential for development that Ayyoub has because he possesses unique qualities."
The timing question
There is still a difference between close and done, and this is where the timeline matters. Teamtalk's line is that City are close to finishing the deal. The Standard's reporting has gone a step further and says Bouaddi has agreed in principle to a contract that would run until 2031, but that remains unverified alongside the other report.
The practical point is simpler. Bouaddi wants the move now, City want to push on, and Lille's valuation has stayed at around €100million. If the deal lands, it will do so because all three of those pieces have lined up at the same time.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
