Manchester City have completed the signing of Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French club Lille in a deal worth £85.6 million.
The 18-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League champions, with the transfer subject to international clearance. City will pay £81.4 million initially, while a further £4.2 million could be added through performance-related bonuses.
Bouaddi joins City after an impressive season with Lille and a strong performance for Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He featured in five of Morocco’s six matches as the North African side advanced to the quarter-finals.
His displays have strengthened his status as one of European football’s brightest young midfield talents. He had already become an important part of Lille’s first team in Ligue 1 before making the move to England.
City decided to bring in Bouaddi after major changes to their midfield this summer. Rodri was sold to Barcelona for £65 million, while Tijjani Reijnders moved to Al-Qadsiah for £52 million. Nico Gonzalez also left for Newcastle in a deal that could rise to £52 million.
Bouaddi is expected to add energy, creativity and technical ability to City’s midfield as he continues his development under manager Enzo Maresca.
After completing the transfer, the Morocco international described the move as a dream come true and praised City’s footballing philosophy.
“This is a very special day for me and my family. Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world. It’s a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player,” Bouaddi said.
He added that he had followed Manchester City for several years and admired the club’s focus on playing quality football and achieving success.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar