Manchester City's summer pursuit of Ayyoub Bouaddi ended with the club paying a premium to sign the Moroccan teenager, and his early performances have already made an impact. However, head coach Enzo Maresca's reluctance to start him regularly is now a growing point of contention.
Summer Signing and Immediate Impact
Lille held firm on their asking price all summer, and sporting director Hugo Viana eventually paid up after Rodri left for Barcelona. City were convinced Bouaddi was ready, with some at the club indicating he would start more games than many expected once the September transfer window closed.
Bouaddi quickly met the hype, coming in for Elliot Anderson in Porto and helping City secure an important away win in their first Champions League game. "Tonight he was very good, you expect from Erling, Ruben, Mateo that they can manage these kind of games better but you don't expect it from a guy of 18," said Maresca. "I didn't see him panic. Congratulations to Ayyoub, and this is why he's here with us."
He added: "He can speak French, English, Spanish perfectly. He is different in terms of how mature he is and this is why the club had made the effort to bring him here with us."
Mixed Form and Fan Frustration
Bouaddi was solid in the League Cup against Norwich, but it was his second-half performance off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain that drew widespread praise. That display was described as one of the best 45 minutes City have produced at the Etihad, cementing supporter belief that the 19-year-old was ready.
Maresca, however, has not appeared to agree. A league start at home to Ipswich saw the team error-prone, a League Cup game with Brighton ended with Bouaddi taken off at half-time, and a subsequent league appearance saw him out of position. When Maresca finally picked a midfield trio of Bouaddi, Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, Bouaddi was pushed beyond Anderson and alongside Fernandez, leaving City exposed again.
The two following games saw Bouaddi benched, increasing fan exasperation. After the Forest defeat, Maresca rejected the suggestion that too much was being asked of Anderson, attributing the problems to individuals. "No I think you concede transitions when you lose the ball like the first goal and you concede transitions when you don't win duels," he said.
Growing Pressure on Maresca
There is every chance Bouaddi is not the silver bullet some supporters believe, and that half against Paris Saint-Germain could prove a one-off. Yet the expectation for Maresca to start Bouaddi as a No.6 is growing, and every game he does not - especially if City lose - will add to the frustration.
The decision is complicated by the fact that if Bouaddi comes in, somebody has to sit out. Fernandez, signed from Chelsea for a club record £125m, is Maresca's man, but his uninspiring performances increase calls for change. Maresca heads into the international break with suggestions he is too stubborn to change. The longer Bouaddi goes untried, the harder it will be for the City boss to shut out the noise when club football returns.
