Manchester City agree £86m deal to sign Lille teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi

Manchester City have reached a final agreement with Lille to sign Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Radio Monte Carlo.

The deal is worth 100m euros (£86m), including add-ons, and would make Bouaddi the most expensive sale in Lille’s history.

City had already agreed personal terms with the 18-year-old, but had previously been unable to persuade Lille to let him leave. Radio Monte Carlo now reports that the two clubs have completed an agreement over the transfer.

Bouaddi is not expected to play for Lille against Angers on Sunday as he prepares to move to Manchester City.

The midfielder attracted widespread attention at the 2026 World Cup, where he played a prominent role in Morocco’s run to the quarter-finals. He started five matches during the tournament.

He is under contract at Lille until the summer of 2029 after renewing his deal in December, a position that gave the French club considerable strength in negotiations and meant they were under no pressure to sell.

If the transfer is completed, Bouaddi will leave Lille having established himself as one of the club’s youngest and most notable recent players.

He made Lille history in 2023 when, aged 16, he became the youngest player to appear for the club’s first team in a competitive match.

Bouaddi later broke another club record previously held by Eden Hazard, becoming the youngest Lille player to make 50 appearances in Ligue 1.

The Morocco international, who had previously represented France at youth level, has made 96 appearances for Lille in all competitions. He has provided four assists and, during the 2025-26 season, received nine yellow cards and two red cards.

His emergence has accelerated rapidly since his first-team debut, and the reported agreement would take him from Lille to City after a breakthrough period that has included regular domestic football and a major international tournament.

The proposed 100m-euro package would represent a significant financial return for Lille and underline Bouaddi’s growing status after only a relatively short senior career.

City’s agreement with the player was secured some time ago, but the decisive step came only after Lille accepted the terms of the transfer. With the club now understood to have agreed the fee, Bouaddi is set to continue his career with the Premier League side, subject to completion of the move.