Manchester City agree up to €100m deal for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi

Manchester City have agreed on 23 August 2026 a transfer with Lille to sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in the summer transfer window for €95m plus €5m in potential add-ons, taking the package to up to €100m. The deal will push City’s summer spending to nearly £200m after Elliot Anderson’s £116m arrival earlier in the window.

Bouaddi, 18, operates mainly as a No 6 and started five of Morocco’s six games at the World Cup this summer, including the 2-0 quarter-final defeat by France; that match was only his eighth international appearance. He made his debut for Lille in a Conference League group game in October 2023 and, at 16 years and three days, became the youngest player to appear in that competition.

The majority of the fee for Bouaddi will be financed by the £65m sale of Rodri to Barcelona, which took place last week.

City remain interested in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who is also a midfielder; the west London club want £120m for the Argentinian but City are thought to value him as less.

Elliot Anderson, who joined earlier in the window, can play as a No 6 or No 8 and is due to make his debut in City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Sunday, meaning Bouaddi may not be handed an immediate start in Enzo Maresca’s team.

Bouaddi was stood down from Lille’s Ligue 1 match against Angers on Sunday before a medical with City. His transfer is expected to be made official in the next few days.