Manchester City reach Ayyoub Bouaddi agreement with Lille for initial €95m

Manchester City have reached an agreement with Lille for the signing of Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The deal consists of an initial €95million (£81.4m; $110m) plus €5m (£4.3m; $5.8m) in potential add-ons.

Bouaddi is set to move to the Etihad Stadium on a contract through to 2031, with the option of a further 12 months.

The Athletic reported in July that City were pushing hard for a potential move, with the 18-year-old set to make a decision on his future in France.

The deal for Bouaddi comes after City’s sale of fellow midfielder Rodri to Barcelona for an initial fee of €60m (£51.2m; $68.8m).

Bernardo Silva also departed City following the conclusion of his contract, while Tijjani Reijnders has joined Al Qadsiah, and The Athletic reported Newcastle United are in talks to sign Nico Gonzalez.

Elliot Anderson has joined the club this summer in a £116m ($153m) move from Nottingham Forest.

Bouaddi starred for Morocco at this summer’s World Cup, starting five of his side’s six matches in their run to the quarterfinals. Against Brazil in the group stage, he recorded more touches than any of his teammates in a 1-1 draw.

At club level, Bouaddi became Lille’s youngest-ever player at the age of 16 years and three days when he made his debut in a Conference League tie in September 2023, having come through the French side’s academy.

In the 2025-26 season, his third full senior campaign, the midfielder made 42 appearances across all competitions, providing one assist as Lille finished third in Ligue 1 and qualified for the Champions League. He was brought to the club by Luis Carlos — now Paris Saint-Germain’s football advisor — in 2021.

Bouaddi made his international debut for Morocco in May after transferring allegiances from France, for whom he competed from under-16 to under-21 level.

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