Manchester City Set to Sign Ayyoub Bouaddi for £85.6m

Manchester City have struck an agreement in principle worth 100m euros (£85.6m) to sign Lille’s 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, as their midfield rebuild gathers serious pace.

The Morocco international is now poised to complete his long-awaited move to England after the French club accepted an initial £81.4m fee, with a further £4.2m tied to add-ons. The deal follows days of advanced negotiations between the clubs, with City moving decisively once the structure of the package was settled.

This is no minor tweak to the squad. It is a statement move.

City’s engine room has been ripped open and reassembled in a single window. Rodri has gone to Barcelona in a £65m transfer, while Tijjani Reinders has departed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah in a £52m deal. Two major exits, both central to how City played, left a glaring gap through the middle of Enzo Maresca’s team.

The response has been aggressive. City have already spent £116m to bring in England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, and now they are closing in on one of Europe’s most coveted teenage talents in Bouaddi.

At just 18, Bouaddi arrives with a hefty price tag and even heavier expectations. City clearly believe he can grow into a central figure in Maresca’s plans, rather than simply add depth. The size of the fee underlines that conviction.

The recruitment drive is not finished either. City remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, though it is unclear whether they can reach an agreement with their Premier League rivals. Any deal there would push this midfield overhaul into truly eye-watering territory.

For now, the focus is on getting Bouaddi over the line. Once the paperwork and medical are complete, Maresca will have a new-look core to build around — Anderson already through the door, Bouaddi on the way, and potentially more to come.

City have torn up their old midfield blueprint. The question now is simple: how quickly can this expensive new heart of the team start beating in rhythm?