Entertainment

Manchester City sign 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille

The French club confirmed the transfer of the Morocco international on a five-year contract worth up to £85.6m.

Updated Aug 26, 2026 · 12:26 UTC2 reports

The short version

Manchester City completed the signing of 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French side Lille on a five-year deal.
The total transfer fee is reported at €100m ($117m) or £85.6m, including £81.4m upfront and £4.2m in potential add-ons.
The acquisition follows a major midfield restructuring at City after the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders.
Bouaddi must complete final administrative steps, including international clearance, before joining the squad.

Manchester City signed 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille on a five-year contract.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
The transfer agreement totals €100m ($117m) or £85.6m, consisting of an upfront payment of £81.4m plus £4.2m in add-ons.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
Bouaddi started five of six matches for Morocco during their run to the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
The signing follows Manchester City's sales of central midfielders Rodri to Barcelona and Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
Bouaddi made 96 appearances for Lille after making his senior debut in 2023.[BBC News]

The transfer remains subject to official international clearance.[BBC News]
It remains unknown whether Manchester City will finalize a reported target move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the transfer deadline.[BBC News]