{
  "id": 2798320,
  "title": "Man City agree deal for Lille star Bouaddi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/man-city-agree-deal-for-lille-star-bouaddi-2798320",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T12:53:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/08/23/man-city-agree-deal-for-lille-star-bouaddi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Manchester City have reached an agreement to sign Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a fee of £86 million (US$117 million), according to recent reports. The 18-year-old, who played a key role in Morocco's quarter-final appearance at the World Cup, has been a standout player for Lille. The English champions had been in discussions with Lille for several weeks and finally agreed to the deal, which includes Bouaddi undergoing a medical before finalizing his move to the Etihad Stadium. The midfielder's arrival will bolster Manchester City's midfield, alongside England's Elliot Anderson. The Turkish outfit made central midfield a priority following Pep Guardiola's departure as manager at the end of last season. There are also rumors that City are still interested in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, who is valued at £120 million, but Chelsea has set a deadline for bids that has not been met.",
  "summary": "The 18-year-old rising star was one of the stand-out players at the recent World Cup, helping Morocco reach the quarter-finals.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Man City agree deal for Lille star Bouaddi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/man-city-agree-deal-for-lille-star-bouaddi",
        "published": "2026-08-23T12:34:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Man City agree deal for Lille star Bouaddi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/man-city-agree-deal-for-lille-star-bouaddi-2794242",
        "published": "2026-08-23T12:53:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}