Manchester City have agreed a deal with Lille for 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi worth an initial £81.4m plus £4.2m in add-ons, totaling £85.6m. Talks between the two clubs successfully progressed earlier this week.
The Premier League side have prioritized strengthening their central midfield following the departures of Rodri to Barcelona and Tijjani Reinders to Al-Qadsiah. City also brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m and retain an interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez.
Bouaddi gained international attention after starring for Morocco at the World Cup and shining in Lille's 2024 Champions League win against Real Madrid. He became Lille's youngest-ever player in October 2023 and has made 88 appearances for the French club.
City are set to open their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on Sunday after losing last weekend's Community Shield fixture to Arsenal.
