Manchester City sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille

Manchester City has signed rising 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille on Wednesday, as the Premier League giant looks for a long-term replacement for their 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Kevin De Bruyne, who recently joined Barcelona. City announced the transfer via their official website, indicating that Bouaddi has agreed to a five-year contract with no financial details disclosed.

According to French sports daily L'Equipe, the fee for the young talent is estimated at 100 million euros ($117 million), marking it as the most expensive transfer from the French league since Al Hilal paid 90 million euros for Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

Bouaddi expressed his excitement about joining the city, stating, "This is a very special day for me and my family. I've watched City for many years, and I love their style of play. City always try and play quality football. And they have shown they are winners, this club feels like it’s built to win." The transfer comes as a statement from new City manager Enzo Maresca, who has a significant task ahead of him following the departure of Pep Guardiola at the end of last season after a trophy-laden, 10-year tenure.

Bouaddi's emergence as a star player was highlighted by his impressive performance during the 2022 World Cup, where he showcased his assured touch, tactical understanding, and maturity on the pitch. At just 16, he had already caught the eye, being touted as Lille's best midfielder since Eden Hazard. Bouaddi made his debut for Lille's first team at just 15 years and three days, playing in a European match against KI Klaksvík in October 2021.

Despite his youth, he has yet to score a goal in either 96 games for Lille or eight appearances for Morocco. However, he remains optimistic about his progress and believes City is the ideal place to further develop his skills.