Ayyoub Bouaddi warms up for Lille amid reports of a move to Manchester City. Highly rated teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi was left out of Lille’s squad for its opening game of the season Sunday amid reports of an imminent move to Manchester City.
L’Équipe and RMC reported that the 18-year-old was set to join City for 100 million euros ($117 million) on a five-year contract.
“Things have progressed well concerning his departure. We prepared this week without him”, Lille sports coordinator Sylvain Armand said on Ligue1+.
“Things have advanced well so I think the deal is not far away”, he added.
Bouaddi took part in Lille’s pre-match warmup before its 2-0 win at Angers, despite not being included in the matchday squad.
He impressed at the World Cup for Morocco with his assured touch, tactical understanding and maturity.
Bouaddi Emerges as Lille’s Next Big Sale
Manchester City is seeking a long-term replacement for former Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who recently joined Barcelona after helping Spain win the World Cup.
Asked about Bouaddi after City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth, manager Enzo Maresca said: “I don’t know if there is any update at the moment … we’ll see”.
Bouaddi joined Lille’s academy in 2021 and became the youngest player to appear in a European game just three days after his 16th birthday, featuring against KI Klaksvík in the Europa Conference League.
Lille previously sold Nicolas Pépé to Arsenal for 80 million euros in 2019, while Victor Osimhen moved to Napoli for a similar amount the following year.
- Source: AP