Ayyoub Bouaddi, the Lille midfielder linked with Liverpool, has reportedly agreed to join Manchester City. The 18-year-old emerged as a standout talent at the World Cup with his performances for Morocco.
World Cup standout
Bouaddi shone for the AFCON champions, prompting reported interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. He was particularly impressive in Morocco's first game against Brazil, where he dictated proceedings in their Group C clash despite the presence of stars like Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Achraf Hakimi, and Ismael Saibari.
His performances have fueled transfer speculation, with reports suggesting Liverpool might look to bring him to Anfield this summer.
Agreement with City
Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has claimed on X that Bouaddi "has reached a full verbal agreement" with Manchester City. The interest from the Etihad side comes amid uncertainty over Rodri's future, with Real Madrid interested in the City midfielder. City could use funds from Rodri's sale to finance a move for the £85million-rated Bouaddi.
Bouaddi previously told The Athletic he was "really happy" to be linked with several major clubs, but remained focused on the World Cup.
Price tag
Lille president Olivier Letang indicated that a deal for Bouaddi would not be cheap, citing the recent departures of Elliot Anderson (£116m to Manchester City) and Sandro Tonali (£100m to Tottenham Hotspur) as benchmarks. He said, "How much have players like Anderson or Tonali been sold for, who are much older [23 and 26 respectively], but without room for improvement, so you have an idea of the value of Ayyoub, who has a unique profile at only 18 years old."
Letang added, "Many clubs are interested in him, but very few can afford him right now. He's already one of the best midfielders in the world and still has significant room for improvement."
