Manchester City have agreed a deal in principle worth 100 million euros, or £85.6 million, to sign 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. The initial fee is £81.4 million, with £4.2 million more possible in add-ons.
According to BBC Sport, which reported earlier this week that the two clubs were in advanced talks, Bouaddi will now complete his move to England after Lille accepted the terms. He joins Enzo Maresca's side as City look to rebuild their central midfield after selling Rodri to Barcelona for £65 million and Tijjani Reinders to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah for £52 million. City have also added England midfielder Elliot Anderson for £116 million from Nottingham Forest.
Bouaddi made his senior debut for Lille in October 2023, three days after his 16th birthday, becoming the youngest player ever to represent the club. He made that debut against KI. On his 17th birthday, fans inside the Stade Pierre-Mauroy serenaded him after Lille defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League, a result that announced him on the European stage. He has since made 88 appearances for the club.
At 18, he broke a record previously held by Eden Hazard by becoming the youngest player to make 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille. He helped the club finish third in Ligue 1 last season.
This summer, Bouaddi started five of Morocco's six World Cup matches as they advanced to the quarter-finals. He plays as a deep-lying midfielder and is expected to complement Anderson, who is described as comfortable both as a box-to-box player and in the number six role he fills for the England national team.
City remain interested in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, though it is unclear whether a deal can be completed. The club hosts Bournemouth in their Premier League opener on Sunday at 14:00 BST, having lost last weekend's Community Shield to Arsenal.