Ayyoub Bouaddi ready to make Manchester City debut at Crystal Palace, says Enzo Maresca

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that new signing Ayyoub Bouaddi is ready to make his debut for the club against Crystal Palace on Friday night, despite having trained with his new teammates for only one day.

The 18-year-old completed his £85 million move from Lille during the summer transfer window, becoming one of the major additions to a City squad that has undergone significant investment under Maresca.

Although Bouaddi has had limited time to work with his new teammates, Maresca believes the teenager is fit enough to feature at Selhurst Park because he continued training with Lille during pre-season.

“He’s ready to play. He was working with his former club, so he’s fit. We’ll see how long he needs to adapt, but he’s ready to work.”

Bouaddi’s potential involvement provides an early glimpse of one of the most expensive young signings in City’s history, with Maresca indicating that the midfielder could immediately become part of his plans.

Maresca impressed by Bouaddi’s maturity

The Italian coach has also been struck by the composure and maturity shown by Bouaddi since arriving in England.

Despite his age and the scale of his transfer, Maresca says the France youth international has already demonstrated characteristics that could help him settle quickly at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

“He’s quite calm and he doesn’t look 18. He already looks mature and that’s important.”

However, Maresca is conscious of the need to carefully manage expectations surrounding a player who has just moved to a new country and is entering a much more demanding environment.

“We need to go slowly because he’s very young and he’s come from another country, so there’s no rush for him.”

City step up preparations after Bournemouth fightback

Bouaddi’s arrival is part of an ambitious summer recruitment drive by City, with the club spending more than £230 million as Maresca reshapes his squad.

Midfield has been a particular area of focus, with Bouaddi and Elliot Anderson arriving in headline deals designed to strengthen the team for the challenges ahead.

Maresca began his Premier League tenure with a 2-1 comeback victory over Bournemouth last weekend. City were forced to fight back after falling behind, but eventually secured three points to give their new manager a winning start.

The result offered an early indication of the demands facing Maresca after replacing Pep Guardiola, with City already under pressure to compete for major honours.

The visit to Palace presents another test, but Maresca now has the option of introducing Bouaddi if he believes the youngster can contribute.

No pressure on £85m wonderkid

While Maresca is excited about Bouaddi’s potential, he insists neither he nor the club will rush the teenager into a prominent role simply because of his sizeable transfer fee.

“For sure, he’s going to help us now and in the future. It’s my job – and the club – to manage him in the best way and not put pressure on him.”

That approach could see Bouaddi introduced gradually, but his manager’s confirmation that he is already fit means a competitive debut at Selhurst Park is firmly on the cards.

For City supporters, the possibility of seeing their £85m teenage investment in action so soon adds further intrigue to Friday’s Premier League clash.:::