City Xtra

·23 July 2026

City Xtra

·23 July 2026

Man City are now “on course to complete” the signing of Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi

Significant progress has been made in negotiations with Lille in recent days

Officials at the Etihad Stadium increasingly hopeful of second major midfield coup this summer

Manchester City are confident in their pursuit of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi as talks move forward over a deal worth a little over £85 million, according to a new report.

Ayyoub Bouaddi has been at the heart of one of the summer’s most hotly fought transfer races, with Manchester City’s move for the 18-year-old facing strong competition from Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain across a summer window in which the Morocco international’s value has climbed sharply after a standout FIFA World Cup campaign.

The Morocco international’s displays throughout the tournament in North America – where he played in every match for his country apart from one during Morocco’s journey to the quarter-finals – underlined what those who had followed him closely in Ligue 1 had long felt: that Bouaddi is one of the most complete young midfielders to come through European football in recent seasons.

Manchester City make progress in Ayyoub Bouaddi pursuit as Lille name asking price for permanent transfer

Talks between director of football Hugo Viana and Lille president Olivier Létang have been among the most important of a summer that has already brought the £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with CEO Ferran Soriano also understood to have taken part in face-to-face discussions with Létang – a level of executive involvement that shows how highly City have prioritised landing Bouaddi before the transfer window shuts.

City’s stance on the deal has changed a great deal over the summer, with the club first willing to consider a loan-back arrangement that would have kept Bouaddi at Lille for another season before shifting to demand an immediate place in Maresca’s squad – a change in approach that added another layer to the negotiations but ultimately seems to have been accepted by the player’s side.

According to talkSPORT, Manchester City are now on course to complete the signing of Bouaddi after making major progress in talks with Lille in recent days, with the deal understood to be close to being finalised unless there are any late issues.

Bouaddi is valued by Lille at £85 million as it remains to be seen whether Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana can force the final fee down while newly-appointed manager Enzo Maresca gets his hands on one of the brightest midfield talents in world football.

City are said to believe there is no better setting for Bouaddi’s growth than working alongside Rodri – one of the world’s top holding midfielders – and Maresca is eager to bring Bouaddi into his first-team group straight away after discussion of a possible season on loan back at Lille.

Lille’s £85 million valuation had initially been seen as a sticking point for several interested clubs, but City’s readiness to meet the French club’s demands in full – broadly following the model set in the Anderson deal – has pushed them clearly ahead of rivals who were unwilling to commit at that level.

Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi set for major position switch at Manchester City

A deal for Bouaddi at £85 million – together with the £116 million already spent on Anderson – would amount to a combined midfield outlay of more than £200 million in a single window, a clear statement from Viana and manager Enzo Maresca that reflects the scale of the rebuild taking place at the Etihad Stadium.

Adding a player with Bouaddi’s qualities would also answer the long-term question of how City plan to replace Rodri, with the 18-year-old’s positional awareness, passing range and physical progress pointing to a future as a truly world-class defensive midfielder capable of handling the most demanding central role in Maresca’s system.

The edge City appear to have gained over the likes of Arsenal – who had tracked Bouaddi for several years and stayed firmly in the race throughout – will be a particular source of satisfaction for Viana, with the ability to close a deal of this scale and complexity ahead of clubs of Arsenal’s recent standing serving as a strong sign of the direction of travel at the Etihad Stadium under the new management structure.

Whether the final details can be wrapped up quickly enough for Bouaddi to join pre-season training already under way at the City Football Academy, or whether his arrival is pushed back until the paperwork is formally completed, is the last remaining question in a saga that has dominated much of the summer window for Manchester City and their rivals alike.

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