Lille’s Bouaddi windfall takes transfer sales beyond €400m

Ayyoub Bouaddi’s move to Manchester City has helped Lille rewrite its financial record in the transfer market, with the French club having sold players for more than €400m since winning the Ligue 1 title in 2021.

The deal for the Morocco international is worth €100m and represents the most expensive sale in Lille’s history. It also takes the combined value of the club’s five biggest departures beyond €350m, according to AS.

Lille became French champions in 2021, ending Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance, and has since built a reputation for negotiating substantial fees for some of Europe’s most sought-after young players.

Bouaddi’s outstanding performances at the World Cup attracted interest from several of the continent’s leading clubs. Manchester City eventually won the race for the midfielder, completing a deal that has delivered the biggest transfer fee ever received by Lille.

He was not the only player to bring a significant sum into the club’s accounts. Matias Fernandez-Pardo joined Newcastle for €59m, taking Lille’s total income from player sales since its title success to €400m.

The 21-year-old forward, who has Spanish and Italian heritage, is a Belgium international. His transfer added to a series of lucrative departures negotiated by Lille since 2021.

Victor Osimhen was the first of those major sales. Napoli paid €79m to sign the Nigeria striker, who had established himself as one of the most valuable forwards in Europe.

Lille then saw Amadou Onana and Sven Botman leave for the Premier League. Everton paid €39m for the midfielder, while Newcastle secured the defender for €37m.

Yoro and Chevalier add to Lille’s income

Lille’s next major deal came in the summer of 2024, when Leny Yoro became one of the most prominent names in the transfer market. The French centre-back was pursued by several of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Manchester United eventually completed the transfer after paying the €62m fee demanded by Lille.

The club’s most recent major sale came last summer, when goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €40m. Chevalier kept 11 clean sheets during the 2024-25 season, performances that drew the attention of the French champions.

Paris Saint-Germain completed the deal after Gianluigi Donnarumma’s departure, adding Chevalier to its goalkeeping options.

Despite ranking as France’s second-highest-selling club behind Paris Saint-Germain, Lille remains some distance from the European leaders in player-trading revenue.

Within France, Monaco and Rennes are the next two clubs on the list, having generated €248m and €239m respectively from sales.

The Premier League dominates the figures outside France. Even Bournemouth, which is not part of the so-called “big six”, has recorded sales worth twice as much as Lille.

In Germany, RB Leipzig leads the standings with €426m in player sales since 2021. Atalanta have generated €311m over the same period, while Real Sociedad’s sales in Spain have reached €233m.