Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is set to join Manchester City in a massive deal worth up to €100 million.
Reports indicate the Premier League side and the French club have finalized terms for the 18-year-old Morocco international, with City agreeing to meet Lille's full valuation after weeks of talks.
DailyVista247 gathered that Lille have agreed to an initial fee of £81.4m for Bouaddi, with a further £4.2m in potential add-ons. The structure of the payment was the final point of discussion, with Lille initially pushing for the full €100m upfront for an immediate transfer.
The Morocco international is expected to complete his move to England after the two clubs reached an agreement for his transfer. He is understood to have already verbally agreed personal terms with City, with a five-year contract on the table and an option for a further year. The 18-year-old was one of the standout young players at the 2026 World Cup, where his composure in midfield drew attention from across Europe.
Bouaddi's arrival would further strengthen City's midfield options as the club undertakes a major rebuild. The club identified central midfield as a priority area this summer following the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders. Rodri moved to Barcelona for £65m, while Reijnders joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah in a £52m deal.
City have already made a major midfield addition this summer by signing England international Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m. A deal for Bouaddi at £86m would take City's combined midfield investment in a single window to over £200m, underlining the scale of the rebuild being led by manager Enzo Maresca and sporting director Hugo Viana.
According to details of the negotiations, Lille had proposed two options during talks. The first was €100m for an immediate signing, while the second was around €75-80m for a deal that would see Bouaddi loaned back to Lille for the 2026-27 season. Manchester City opted to pay the higher fee to secure him immediately, although there is still some uncertainty over whether the club will allow him to remain in France on loan to continue his development.
Lille have identified Real Madrid Castilla young midfielder Jorge Cestero as a potential replacement for Bouaddi, with the 20-year-old viewed as fitting the profile in terms of age and technical quality.
For City, the signing fits the profile Maresca wants - young, technically gifted, and capable of playing in multiple midfield roles. When asked about Bouaddi ahead of City's Premier League opener at home against Bournemouth, Maresca stopped short of discussing the player directly but indicated City were keen to complete incoming deals quickly. He noted that any new signing arriving early is better for integration.
City will begin their Premier League campaign at home against Bournemouth, following their Community Shield defeat by Arsenal last weekend. The club is also still interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, although it remains unclear whether they can reach an agreement with the London club.
