Manchester City have completed the signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a deal worth £85.6m, making the 18-year-old the most expensive teenager in Premier League history. The Morocco international has put pen to paper on a five-year contract, subject to international clearance.
The structure of the deal sees City pay £81.4m upfront, with a further £4.2m in add-ons to follow. It surpasses the £58.9m Manchester United paid Lille for defender Leny Yoro in 2024, underlining the premium now attached to the French club’s academy graduates.
Bouaddi on the move
Bouaddi described the switch as the realisation of a long-held ambition. “This is a very special day for me and my family. Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world. It’s a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player,” he said.
He added: “I have spent most of my life working hard to become the best player I can be and reach the top of the game. I’ve watched City for many years, and I love their style of play. City always try and play quality football. And they have shown they are winners – this club feels like it’s built to win.”
A rapid rise at Lille
Bouaddi made 96 appearances for Lille after making his debut for the club in 2023, playing a part in their third-place Ligue 1 finish last season. He became the youngest player ever to appear for Lille when he featured against KI in the Europa League at 16, and went on to play a starring role as Lille beat Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2024.
This summer he was a key figure in Morocco’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals, starting five of their six matches in the tournament.
Filling the gap left by Rodri
The signing comes after City sold Rodri to Barcelona for £65m and Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah for £52m, moves that prompted Enzo Maresca’s side into the market for central midfield reinforcements. Bouaddi is viewed as a deep-lying midfielder who can operate as the side’s conductor, a role that would complement club-record signing Elliot Anderson, brought in from Nottingham Forest for £116m and comfortable both box-to-box and in the number six position he occupies for England.
City are also expected to make an offer for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, though the Argentina midfielder is valued at £120m and it remains to be seen whether a deal can be agreed before Tuesday’s deadline.
Wider squad reshaping
Bouaddi’s arrival follows a summer of significant turnover in City’s ranks. Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez are also departing the midfield, with Gonzalez set to join Newcastle in a £52m deal. Elsewhere, Savinho — now known as Savio — has joined Tottenham for £75m, while Spurs have agreed a loan deal for City forward Omar Marmoush.
Analysis: pressure on young shoulders
City are paying for potential rather than the finished product with Bouaddi, who at 18 is being asked to help fill the void left by a Ballon d’Or winner in Rodri. With the season already under way and further incomings possible in Fernandez, both Anderson and Bouaddi will need to adapt quickly as Maresca continues to reshape his midfield.
