Manchester City Set to Sign Ayyoub Bouaddi for 100m Euros

Manchester City have struck an agreement in principle to sign Lille’s highly rated midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in a deal worth 100m euros (£86m).

The 18-year-old Morocco international is now on course to complete his long-anticipated move to England, with only the final formalities standing between him and Enzo Maresca’s squad.

BBC Sport revealed earlier this week that City and Lille were in advanced negotiations, and those talks have now produced a full agreement for the teenager to join the Premier League champions.

City’s midfield rebuild has gathered pace after the sales of Rodri and Tijani Reijnders, leaving central midfield as the club’s clear priority area in this window. Bouaddi is viewed as a major part of that reshaping, a long-term investment in the heart of Maresca’s side.

City are still keeping tabs on Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, but it is unclear whether they will be able to push that pursuit over the line.

For now, the focus is on Bouaddi – an 18-year-old stepping into one of the most demanding midfields in Europe, and into a club that expects every new arrival to shape the next era, not just fill a gap.