Manchester City have reportedly reached an initial agreement with Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi over personal terms as they work on the transfer. Manchester United and Arsenal have both also been linked with the Morocco international.
Highly-rated talent
The 18-year-old is one of the most highly-rated talents in Europe, with teams queuing up to try and sign him this summer. He also caught the eye while representing Morocco in the World Cup.
Despite his young age, Bouaddi played 42 times in all competitions for Lille last season and has become a key player for the Ligue 1 side. It’s reported that they will demand around €100 million (£85m) to sell him.
Lille chairman hints at price
Speaking earlier this month, Lille chairman Oliver Letang hinted at the price he wants. “When I see [Elliot] Anderson move to Manchester City for £116 million and [Sandro] Tonali to Tottenham for £100 million, and they don’t have the potential for development that Ayyoub has because he possesses unique qualities. I have a price in mind, and we’ll see what happens.”
According to journalist Nicolo Schira, City have agreed a contract with the teenager that runs until 2031. The club will now continue talks with Lille to try and reach a club-to-club agreement over the transfer fee.
Competition expected
It’s added that City expect two other ‘top European clubs’ to make a move, although it’s not said who those clubs are. Arsenal and United are two other clubs who have been heavily linked with an interest.
Reports suggest that City see Bouaddi as someone who can go straight into Enzo Maresca’s starting line-up, despite the £116 million signing of England star Anderson earlier in the window. That may have given them the edge over some of their rivals.
Emmanuel Petit praise
Former France international Emmanuel Petit has been full of praise about Bouaddi. “He's been one of the strongest young players in France,” he told talkSPORT. “We've seen that against Brazil. He's shown maturity and personality. Even at the end of the game, I saw him try to dribble in his own penalty area. The confidence, he's got quality, he's got physical presence, he's got the tactical knowledge, he's got the technical skills. I'm not surprised at all that he's been targeted for two seasons now with the big clubs in Europe, and it will be a fierce battle to get him.”
