{
  "id": 2790889,
  "title": "Man City agree £86m deal for teen midfielder Bouaddi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/man-city-agree-86m-deal-for-teen-midfielder-bouaddi",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T12:41:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Sport Football",
    "slug": "bbc-sport-football",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyjy0e0pkzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Manchester City have reached an agreement with Lille to sign 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in a deal worth around £86 million. BBC Sport previously reported that the two clubs were nearing a deal for the Moroccan international. The agreement includes a £81.4 million initial fee, with additional £4.2 million in add-ons. Lille is accepting the offer, and Bouaddi is set to complete his move to England.\n\nCity's interest in central midfield strengthening is evident, as they recently sold Rodri to Barcelona for £65 million and Tijjani Reinders to Al-Qadsiah for £52 million. The Premier League champions have also signed England's Elliot Anderson for £116 million from Nottingham Forest. While City are still interested in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, it remains uncertain whether a deal can be reached.\n\nBouaddi, who started in all five of Morocco's matches during their World Cup run to the quarter-finals, has gained attention after his impressive performance at the tournament. He was also instrumental in Lille's Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024. The 18-year-old midfielder has played 88 times for Lille since his debut in October 2023, three days after his 16th birthday. He helped Lille finish third in Ligue 1 last season and became the youngest footballer to play for the club when he made his senior debut against KI just days after turning 16 in 2023.",
  "summary": "Manchester City agree a deal in principle for 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi worth 100m euros (£86m).",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Hull City enter race to sign Chelsea midfielder Dario Essugo on loan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/hull-city-enter-race-to-sign-chelsea-midfielder-dario-essugo-on-loan",
        "published": "2026-08-23T12:10:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}