Manchester City are currently in advanced discussions with Lille regarding the transfer of Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. The Premier League club aims to finalize the deal this week, following their agreement to offload Rodri to Barcelona. Lille reportedly values the 18-year-old talent at 100 million euros (£85.6 million).
Beyond the pursuit of Bouaddi, Sport understands that City remains interested in securing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Should both acquisitions materialize, they would join Elliot Anderson—who recently arrived from Nottingham Forest—to form a new, high-value midfield trio for the club.
Bouaddi first gained significant attention during his breakout performance in Lille’s 2024 Champions League victory against Real Madrid. He further solidified his reputation at this summer’s World Cup, where he started five of Morocco’s six matches during their journey to the quarter-finals.
Since debuting in October 2023 at just 16 years and three days old, the teenager has made 88 appearances for Lille and played a key role in their third-place Ligue 1 finish last season. He operates as a deep-lying conductor, a profile expected to complement the versatility of Anderson, who excels in both box-to-box duties and the number six position. The report also notes that city have also not given up hope of signing Chelsea ‘s Enzo Fernandez, Sport has been told.
