Manchester City sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £85.6 million, making him costliest teenage signing in English football history

Manchester City signed Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in 2026 for a reported fee of £85.6 million, a transfer the article records as making him the costliest teenage signing in English football history.

Lille have developed a reputation for identifying and selling young talent, turning modest investments into major transfer windfalls, with players such as Eden Hazard, Victor Osimhen, Rafael Leao, Nicolas Pepe and Ayyoub Bouaddi emerging from the club.

Ayyoub Bouaddi, aged 18, rose through Lille’s under-17 and under-19 teams and made his senior debut in 2023-24; the article notes he impressed for Morocco at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and that Manchester City completed his signing for £85.6 million.

Eden Hazard began his youth career at Tubize before moving to Lille’s youth team on a free transfer during the 2005-06 season, developed into a key player for Lille and was sold to Chelsea for £32 million in 2012.

Rafael Leao moved from Portugal to Lille during the 2018-19 campaign, spent a single season with the Ligue 1 club and was signed by AC Milan for £32 million in 2019.

Victor Osimhen joined Lille for the 2019-20 season and Napoli paid £73.2 million for the Nigerian striker in 2020, while Nicolas Pepe joined Lille for the 2018-19 season and was sold to Arsenal for £72 million in 2019.

Leny Yoro progressed through Lille’s youth ranks, featured for the B team in 2021-22, broke into the senior side in 2022-23 and Manchester United committed around £58.9 million for the defender in 2024.

The article concludes that the record transfer belongs to Ayyoub Bouaddi, who joined Manchester City from Lille in 2026 for £85.6 million and who represented Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.