Man City in advanced talks for £85m Bouaddi, 18

Senior football correspondentPublished36 minutes ago156 CommentsManchester City are in advanced talks with Lille over a move for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The Premier League side want to conclude the transfer this week after agreeing to sell Rodri to Barcelona.

It is understood Lille value the 18-year-old at 100 million euros (£85.6m).

Bouaddi impressed at this summer's World Cup - starting five of Morocco's six matches in their run to the quarter-finals - after a starring role in Lille's Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024 announced him on the big stage.

He functions as a deep-lying conductor and would complement summer signing Elliot Anderson, who is comfortable as a box-to-box midfielder as well as the number six role he plays for England.

Bouaddi has played 88 times for Lille since making his debut in October 2023, three days after his 16th birthday, and helped them finish third in Ligue 1 last season.

The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over France

The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner has made 298 appearances across seven trophy-laden seasons at City after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club record £62.8m.

The 30-year-old missed much of the 2024-25 campaign with a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were disrupted by a hamstring issue.

However, he was back to his best at the World Cup in the summer, leading Spain to their second global title and being named player of the tournament.

It remains to be seen if a successful move for Bouaddi would impact City's interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, but well-placed sources maintain that manager Enzo Maresca retains a strong interest in the Argentina midfielder.

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