FP
Fakayejo Paul
Manchester City have finalized a landmark agreement with Lille for 18-year-old Morocco international midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The prodigy is scheduled to land in Manchester today to undergo medical tests before officially putting pen to paper on his long-term contract.
The overall financial package is fixed at €95 million guaranteed plus €5 million in performance add-ons (~£81.3m + £4.3m / €100m total), establishing Bouaddi as the most expensive teenage signing in Premier League history.
Contract & Strategic Context
- Contract Duration: Bouaddi will sign a five-year contract tying him to the Etihad Stadium until June 2031, with Manchester City holding an option to extend the agreement by an extra 12 months.
- Family Visit & Groundwork: The player’s family visited the Etihad Campus and training ground weeks ago to inspect club infrastructure, easing final personal term talks.
- Midfield Rebuild Core: Identified as a key long-term solution to anchor the midfield following Rodri’s exit to Barcelona, Bouaddi’s arrival pushes City’s summer spending past the £200 million mark alongside earlier recruit Elliot Anderson.
- World Cup Stardom: The teenager cemented his elite reputation as one of world football’s premier young talents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting five matches in Morocco’s historic run to the quarter-finals.