Manchester City have entered the race to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, holding direct talks with the French club over a potential transfer, according to reports. The 18-year-old, who has impressed for Morocco at the World Cup, is also a target for Arsenal, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Bouaddi's rise to prominence
Bouaddi is regarded as one of Ligue 1's most promising young talents. His performances earned him a place in Morocco's World Cup squad, where he has delivered commanding displays in midfield as the 2022 semi-finalists finished second in Group C behind Brazil. Lille reportedly value the teenager at around €80 million (£69 million).
Interest from Premier League giants
Arsenal have maintained regular contact with Bouaddi's entourage since January last year, while Liverpool, PSG and Real Madrid have also been monitoring the player. City, however, have now joined the chase and have initiated direct discussions with Lille, as reported by Spanish media.
City are already close to completing a £116 million deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson but may seek further reinforcements in midfield. However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has suggested that City are not looking to sign Bouaddi this summer. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: 'Manchester City have genuine interest in Bouaddi. He’s one of the players being considered by Manchester City eventually for summer 2027. I’m told that Paris Saint-Germain have also been in touch with people close to the player. PSG have different priorities in attack and defence, but Paris Saint-Germain have also been in touch with people close to the player to understand the situation. Arsenal and Liverpool had meetings before the World Cup for this boy, so both clubs were already tracking him. Manchester City are in a conversation for 2027, so there is going to be a lot of movement.'
Giroud's praise for his teammate
Former France striker Olivier Giroud, who plays alongside Bouaddi at Lille, has heaped praise on the youngster. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Giroud said: 'I’ve been amazed by his maturity and also his entourage is really good. His head is well done in the sense that he is calm, confident, he’s staying himself. It’s a gift to have him in the team and I think Morocco is very, very pleased to have him. He’s shown that from the first game and I think that’s just the beginning… 18 years old! I was talking with friends and they sent me pictures of Patrick Vieira and Sergio Busquets. They said he was a mix of both. He’s not yet as good as Sergio Busquets technically but still, he’s got some skills. Patrick Vieira… maybe there’s a lack of power to compare with Patrick Vieira, but he will get stronger and bigger. Over £60-70m, the prices now, I think it’s going to be tough to keep him at Lille, but he’s a complete player, he’s very versatile, he’s all over the place, a bit like N’Golo Kante.'
Bouaddi focused on World Cup
When asked about the transfer speculation, Bouaddi told The Athletic: 'I’m really happy to know that some clubs are interested in me. But for now I’m only focused on the World Cup and we will try to give everything to do our best.'
