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Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Lille sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi after making significant progress in negotiations in recent days, with sources telling TEAMtalk a deal is now close to being finalised.
Discussions with both Lille and the player’s representatives have accelerated, leaving Manchester City increasingly confident they will land one of the most sought-after young talents in world football.
The Morocco international, who enhanced his reputation with a superb World Cup campaign, has been at the centre of a fierce transfer battle involving many of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all held talks over the teenage midfielder during the summer, exploring what type of project and pathway would persuade him to leave Lille.
However, City now believe they have won that race.
Lille have remained firm throughout negotiations, valuing Bouaddi at around €100million (£85m, €114m), and TEAMtalk understands City are now close to meeting those demands, with only minor details left to resolve before the move is agreed.
Should the deal go through at that figure, Bouaddi would become the most expensive teenage midfielder in football history, eclipsing the £53million Chelsea paid Southampton for Romeo Lavia in 2023.
One of the key factors behind City’s progress has been their vision for the player, as sources have explained.
Lille had been open to selling Bouaddi this summer but preferred an agreement that would see him return to France on loan for another season.
As TEAMtalk revealed earlier this month, City initially indicated they would consider that structure.
However, following further discussions, Enzo Maresca made it clear that he ideally wants Bouaddi as part of his first-team plans immediately – and their vision is understood to have convinced the player to make the move here and now…
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Man City transfers: Bouaddi seen as Cityzens anchor for years
City communicated that vision directly to the player and TEAMtalk understands Bouaddi has since informed Lille he is ready to make the move now rather than remain on loan. The French club respect that decision and are no longer standing in the way of an immediate transfer.
Furthermore, sources understand that City’s pursuit of Bouaddi has also shaped their wider transfer strategy this summer.
The Premier League champions’ confidence in securing the 18-year-old is one of the main reasons they ultimately chose not to become seriously involved in Sandro Tonali’s move, while it has also influenced their reluctance to meet Newcastle United’s valuation for Bruno Guimaraes.
Instead, City believe investing heavily in Bouaddi represents a long-term solution capable of anchoring their midfield for years to come.
With Elliot Anderson already arriving as part of the club’s summer rebuild, sources believe City view the prospect of pairing him with Bouaddi as the foundation of a new generation at the Etihad Stadium.
We understand that City see Bouaddi and Anderson as the ideal combination to help move on from the Rodri era. While the Spain international remains a pivotal figure at the Etihad, his long-term future is far from certain amid continued interest from Real Madrid.
City believe there is no better environment for Bouaddi’s development than learning alongside one of the world’s leading holding midfielders, with the expectation that Rodri’s experience can help accelerate the teenager’s progression into one of the game’s elite No.6s – should he remain.
But for now, barring any late complications, TEAMtalk understands Manchester City are now on course to complete and secure a player they believe can become a cornerstone of the club’s future under Maresca.
City can recoup a large portion of the proposed signing by offloading a £60m attacker to Tottenham in a move described as ‘inevitable’.
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