Manchester City have announced the signing of young Moroccan midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi from French club Lille in a major deal worth $117 million, securing a rising talent who is viewed as a long-term replacement for Rodri. 🔥🇲🇦⚽
The 18-year-old Moroccan international has signed a five-year contract with Manchester City for €95 million “$110 million”, plus €5 million in add-ons, according to the club’s announcement.
Ayoub Bouaddi.. A Long-Term Replacement for Rodri
Bouaddi, who plays as a defensive midfielder, is viewed as one of the players capable of replacing Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, who recently joined Barcelona after contributing to Spain’s World Cup victory.
Bouaddi’s signing comes as part of Manchester City’s midfield rebuild under manager Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City had spent $155 million on England international Elliot Anderson, while Bernardo Silva left after his contract expired, and Nico Gonzalez moved to Newcastle to complete his transfer.
British media reports also indicate that Manchester City remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. 👀
Historic Deal for Ayoub Bouaddi
With this transfer, Bouaddi becomes the most expensive player ever sold by a French club, surpassing the €90 million paid by Saudi club Al Hilal to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Bouaddi has also become the most expensive young player transfer in Premier League history, according to the details of the deal.
The Moroccan player expressed his happiness at joining Manchester City, saying that the club represents the right place for him to continue developing.
Bouaddi said: “This is a very special day for me and my family. I have followed City for many years, and I love their style of play. City always aim to play high-quality football. They have proven to be a winning team, and this club seems built to win.”
A Talent Who Caught Attention Early
Despite Bouaddi’s impressive performances at the World Cup thanks to his confident touch, tactical understanding and maturity, the player had already begun attracting attention two years earlier.
At the beginning of his career, he was regarded as Lille’s best midfielder since Eden Hazard, who later moved on to become a Premier League star with Chelsea.
Bouaddi joined Lille’s academy in 2021, and just three days after turning 16, he became the youngest player to appear in a European match when he featured in a Europa Conference League match against KI Klaksvik last October.
Manchester City Sporting Director Praises Bouaddi
Hugo Viana, Manchester City’s sporting director, praised the Moroccan player’s abilities, describing him as “a player who has everything you need to be a top-class midfielder.”
Viana said: “At just 18 years old, he has exceptional football intelligence, and that intelligence will grow over time under Enzo.”
He added: “We followed him closely, and during this period we became increasingly convinced that he is a special talent who will shine at Manchester City.” 🔥
An Area for Development
Despite the technical and tactical abilities Bouaddi possesses, goalscoring remains an area that the player needs to develop.
The player has not scored a single goal in 96 appearances for Lille, while he has also failed to score in eight appearances for the Moroccan national team.
Bouaddi commented on his career by saying: “I am only 18 years old. I am happy with the progress I have made so far, but I also know that I can improve a lot. This is undoubtedly the best place for me to do that.”
Lille Continue to Sell Talents for Huge Fees
Lille have earned a reputation as one of the best clubs in European football when it comes to selling talented players, something once again demonstrated by Bouaddi’s move to Manchester City.
The French club previously sold Ivory Coast striker Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal in 2019 for €80 million, while Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen moved to Napoli the following year for a similar amount.
Manchester United also paid €62 million to sign defender Leny Yoro two years ago.
Last year, goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €40 million, while center-back Bafode Diakite joined Bournemouth for a fee of approximately the same value.
Bouaddi Nears Manchester City Debut
Bouaddi could make his Manchester City debut on Friday after the team opened its season with a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on Sunday, thanks to two late goals.
The match marked a positive start for Maresca following Guardiola’s departure after 10 years filled with trophies.
During that match, Maresca used center-back Marc Guehi as a holding midfielder, indicating Manchester City’s lack of options in that position.
Bouaddi is expected to help solve this issue and could make his debut against Crystal Palace on Friday. 🏆🔥
Can Ayoub Bouaddi become the real replacement for Rodri and quickly establish himself at Manchester City? 🤔🇲🇦⚽
