Lille striker Olivier Giroud has compared 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi to Kylian Mbappe, noting the teenager's remarkable maturity. Bouaddi's rapid rise comes as no surprise to those who watched him grow up in the northern French town of Creil, where his former coaches viewed his consistent displays as entirely logical.
Bouaddi is now heading to the Premier League after Manchester City agreed a deal worth 100m euros, equivalent to £86m, with Lille. The player was highly sought-after at international level, with both France and Morocco desperately trying to secure his allegiance.
Although he represented France at youth level, Bouaddi ultimately chose to play for Morocco, inspired by his family's roots and his memories of watching the 2018 World Cup. Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul praised the teenager for showing great quality, personality, and positive arrogance against elite opponents like Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes.
Bouaddi's career has been defined by breaking records at a young age, including becoming Lille's youngest-ever player at 16, shining against Real Madrid in the Champions League, and surpassing Eden Hazard's milestone by making 50 Ligue 1 appearances before turning 19.
