Manchester City is nearing an agreement to secure Morocco and Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with hopes to finalize the deal within this week, according to sources from ESPN.
City has reportedly reached a personal agreement with Bouaddi on a five-year contract and acknowledged Lille’s asking price of €100 million (£87.5 million) for the promising midfielder, who was a standout during the 2026 World Cup.
The clubs are set to negotiate bonuses and the structure of the transfer this week, with all parties eager to reach a swift agreement.
Man City’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, has maintained regular communication with Lille president Olivier Letang in the pursuit of the 18-year-old Bouaddi, previously awaiting the resolution of the Rodri situation. The Spaniard’s recent move to Barcelona for €76.5 million (£65 million) has paved the way for Bouaddi’s acquisition.
Bouaddi was highly sought after this summer, regarded as a generational talent in his position, attracting interest from top clubs like Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.
Following the arrival of Elliot Anderson at City for €135 million (£116 million), acquiring Bouaddi would further bolster the team’s lineup, as the club’s hierarchy is prepared to meet Lille’s asking price.
Bouaddi played a vital role in Morocco’s journey to the World Cup quarterfinals, where they faced elimination against France. He became the youngest African teenager to make five appearances in a World Cup.
He chose to represent Morocco internationally in May after previously playing for France at the youth level and even captaining the U21 team earlier this year. Bouaddi played in what could be his final match for Lille against Everton on Aug. 15.
Meanwhile, Maresca is also focused on adding Enzo Fernández to replace Tijjani Reijnders, who is moving to Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. City remains undeterred by the looming August 14 transfer deadline set by Chelsea regarding the move for the Argentina international.
Manchester City suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield on Sunday and will kick off their Premier League campaign on August 23 at home against Bournemouth.
Report contributed by ESPN’s Rob Dawson.