Man City line up €90m move for Lille and Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in potential record deal

Manchester City are preparing a bid of around €90m for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, a move that would make the 18-year-old the most expensive Moroccan player in history if completed.

According to reports in France and Italy, City have placed Bouaddi at the centre of their summer recruitment plans after his impressive performances for Lille and a standout 2026 World Cup campaign with Morocco.

Italian journalist Nicolo Schira reports that City’s hierarchy have already reached an agreement in principle with Bouaddi over a five-year contract running until June 2031. The focus of negotiations has now shifted to talks between Manchester City and Lille to settle on a final transfer fee.

City confident of swift agreement

The Premier League champions are understood to be willing to pay in the region of €90m to secure the France-born midfielder from the Ligue 1 club.

TalkSport reports that Manchester City’s executives are “very confident” of concluding the deal quickly and finalising the transfer during the current summer window, with only the fee and payment structure left to be resolved between the clubs.

Lille, who have seen Bouaddi emerge as one of their key young players, are in a strong position in negotiations. The midfielder is under contract with the Dogues until the summer of 2029, giving the French side significant leverage as they discuss what would be one of the most high-profile outgoing transfers in their recent history.

Bouaddi, capped by Morocco at senior level, has seen his value rise sharply on the back of his club displays and his impact at the 2026 World Cup, where he further enhanced his reputation as one of the most promising midfield talents of his generation.

Potential new transfer benchmark for Morocco

If City’s proposed offer is accepted at the reported level, Bouaddi’s move would set a new record fee for a Moroccan player, eclipsing the €68m Paris Saint-Germain paid for Achraf Hakimi in 2021.

That deal brought Hakimi to PSG from Inter Milan and has stood as the benchmark for Moroccan transfers ever since. A successful agreement for Bouaddi at around €90m would “comfortably” surpass that figure.

Bouaddi, who was born in Senlis, is currently valued at €50m by Transfermarkt, underlining how far City appear ready to go above his estimated market valuation in order to win the race for his signature.

In France, Bouaddi is reported to be earning an annual salary of €1,090,000 (708,500,000 FCFA) at Lille. The figures under discussion with Manchester City have not been disclosed, but the proposed five-year deal would run until the end of June 2031.

Rising profile after Lille and World Cup displays

Bouaddi’s rapid rise has attracted attention from leading clubs across Europe, but City have moved decisively as they look to refresh and strengthen their midfield options for the long term.

The youngster’s displays for Lille in Ligue 1, combined with his performances on the global stage at the 2026 World Cup, have convinced City that he is ready for a step up to the Premier League and the demands of competing for major honours season after season.

No agreement has yet been officially announced by either club, and negotiations over the fee are ongoing. But with City prepared to mount what would be a record-breaking move for a Moroccan international, the Premier League side are pushing to wrap up one of the headline transfers of the summer.