Manchester City’s Ayyoub Bouaddi move headlines Arab stars’ summer transfer reshuffle

Manchester City’s signing of Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille has set a new record for an Arab football transfer, while Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has ended his long association with Liverpool to join Trabzonspor in Turkey.

The summer transfer window closed across Europe’s major leagues on Tuesday, 1 September, bringing an eventful period for Arab players to a close. Several high-profile players changed clubs, while a number of transfers created new milestones for footballers from the region.

Bouaddi, 18, joined Manchester City from Lille on a five-year contract, according to the British news agency. The deal is worth £68.5m, approximately $116.6m.

That fee makes the move the most expensive departure from Ligue 1 to a foreign club and establishes Bouaddi as the most expensive Arab player in football history.

The Morocco midfielder is now part of Manchester City’s plans to rebuild their midfield after the club invested heavily in strengthening that area during the summer window.

Salah, meanwhile, brought his Liverpool career to an end after agreeing to terminate his contract with the English club by mutual consent. He then signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor.

The Egypt captain will earn an annual salary of €17m and has made an immediate impact in Turkey, scoring three goals in his first three league appearances.

Egypt forward Omar Marmoush also left Manchester City, joining Tottenham in a deal that includes an obligatory purchase clause worth €58.5m, which will be activated in the summer of 2027.

Marmoush is the third Egyptian to play for Tottenham, following Ahmed Hossam Mido and Hossam Ghaly.

Morocco’s Ismael Saibari also secured a major move after impressing at the World Cup. He completed a transfer from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich during the 2026 summer window, signing a contract that runs until 2031. Several reports put the value of the deal at €55m.

Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat returned to the Eredivisie with Ajax after terminating his contract with Fenerbahce by mutual consent. Ajax confirmed the move on a free transfer, with the player signing until 30 June 2028.

Morocco international Nayef Aguerd joined RB Leipzig on loan from Roma after a deal that faced several twists and nearly collapsed. Speaking to Leipzig’s official website, he said: “RB Leipzig has an excellent reputation, and its style of play – with its high intensity, dynamism and ambition to have possession of the ball – suits me perfectly and matches my strengths. I am eagerly looking forward to joining Leipzig, getting to know the city and facing the challenges ahead in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the German Cup.”

Morocco’s Soufiane Karkoubi moved from Saudi club Al-Qadsiah to Benfica in a deal giving the Portuguese side an option to make the transfer permanent by June 2027.

Other Egyptian players also changed clubs. Haitham Hassan joined Celtic from Spanish side Real Oviedo on a four-year contract after his performances at the World Cup, while Mostafa Mohamed left Nantes for Turkish club Konyaspor on a three-year deal. The move is intended to provide the Egypt striker with a greater opportunity to play regularly after his time in France, where his departure followed a major dispute.

Brighton signed Algeria full-back Jaouen Hadjam from Swiss club Young Boys on a contract running until the summer of 2031. The English club did not disclose the transfer fee. Brighton sporting director David Weir welcomed Hadjam, saying he would be an excellent addition and strengthen the defensive options already available.

A proposed move involving another Algeria international fell through late in the window. Manchester United tried to sign left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, but Sky Sports reported that the requirement from Manchester City for an obligatory purchase clause at the end of the loan led United to withdraw from the deal.

Tunisia midfielder Ellyes Skhiri returned to Cologne from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 31-year-old previously played for Cologne between 2019 and 2023 before moving to Frankfurt. Several reports said Cologne paid $2.3m to bring him back.

“I am extremely happy to be back. I met some familiar faces,” Skhiri said, adding: “I never lost contact with Cologne, and with some of the people here.”

Saudi Arabia full-back Saud Abdulhamid will remain at Lens after the French club activated its option to buy him from Roma. He has signed a contract lasting until 2029.

Abdulhamid helped Lens win the Coupe de France during his loan spell and secure qualification for this season’s Champions League. He joined the club in July 2025 and needed time to adapt before establishing himself, appearing in 14 of Lens’ 17 matches during the second half of last season. He became the first Saudi player to compete in Ligue 1.