Man City Close In on €100m Ayyoub Bouaddi Transfer After World Cup Breakthrough
Ben McAleer
Manchester City are pushing hard to sign Moroccan star Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille as they seek to bolster their midfield, reports the Athletic.
Bouaddi impressed for the Atlas Lions in North America up until their World Cup 2026 quarter-final exit at the hands of France.
The 18-year-old has previously been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United among those to have kept tabs on the teenager.
City close in on Bouaddi
However, it now looks as though City are going to win the race to land Bouaddi for a reported €100m.
Lille are keen to retain Bouaddi’s services for another season, though Enzo Maresca’s side are looking to bring the player to England and integrate him into the squad this summer.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with an interest in Bouaddi, but have dropped behind City in the race to land the Morocco international.
City have already spent big in the summer window having brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m.
The Premier League side have also signed Mathys Detourbet, Jeremy Monga and Pierce Charles from Troyes, Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday, respectively, this summer.
Midfield a priority for Cityzens
Midfield is a key area of improvement for City in the off-season in a summer of change at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola confirmed his intention to leave the club earlier in the year, with Maresca brought in as his successor.
The Manchester outfit had hoped to add Sandro Tonali to the squad, only for the Italian to instead secure a club-record switch to Tottenham Hotspur.
Rodri’s current deal at the club expires next summer, and reports suggest that Real Madrid are hoping to bring the Spain international back to Madrid.
There are also concerns over Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders’ respective futures at the club.
Gonzalez joined from Porto 18 months ago, while Reijnders secured a move to Manchester from Serie A side AC Milan last year.
