Ayyoub Bouaddi, Manchester City's €100m (£85.7m) recruit, is described by former Lille head of academy recruitment Mathieu Frison as "like a computer". Frison says: "You teach him something, he learns it and can do it immediately." The 18-year-old Morocco international faces the monumental challenge of replacing the world's best central midfielder at his new club.
Early promise and rapid rise
Bouaddi has known only Lille and Ligue 1 but enters one of the biggest clubs in the world, where a season without a trophy is deemed a failure. He made his European debut three days after his 16th birthday and has played three full seasons in the first team, culminating in a place at the World Cup this summer.
At 13, Lille beat off competition from France's elite to sign Bouaddi after showing his parents the pathway to the first team. There was never lengthy discussion over money, just what would be best for a boy who wanted to reach the highest level. Lille's track record includes bringing through Bouaddi's soon-to-be Premier League rivals Carlos Baleba and Leny Yoro.
Intelligence on and off the pitch
Frison visited the Bouaddi family in Creil, an hour north of Paris, after scouts spotted Bouaddi playing for his home town team in a tournament. "He was not here at the beginning of the meeting with his parents, and he came in the house with the ball on a string," Frison recalls. "He did a very good trick; he always had this ball in his hand and he always played in his house, so he was already very talented technically."
Bouaddi, the only boy of four siblings, passed all his exams a year early, is studying for a mathematics degree remotely and speaks English. "On the bus, while everyone is watching YouTube videos or listening to music, he will play chess for one or two hours," Frison says. "In the evening when all the players played Fifa or were on their phones, he studied mathematics, physics, science. His parents didn't need to push him to do this – he wanted to learn."
International switch and coaching praise
Bouaddi represented France, the country of his birth, from under-16 to under-21 and is regarded as a huge loss for Les Bleus. Former France under-18 coach Landry Chauvin says: "Bouaddi, for me, is one of the smartest players I've known in my coaching career." Chauvin adds: "He reminds me a lot of Yoann Gourcuff, who I saw in Rennes a few years ago. As soon as the tournament was over, I told Les Espoirs [France's Under-21s] that he should have nothing more to do with me, that he had to continue to progress and go above and beyond."
Chauvin describes Bouaddi as "a very intelligent boy who adapts quickly, capable of playing in every position in the middle, capable of evolving in a changing environment, permanently working hard, but also always with his head held high". He adds: "The man who hides behind the footballer is simply a very beautiful person. Every time I went to Lille, I would send him a little text, and immediately he came to greet me, even though he was already a pro. Many in his place would have snubbed the under-18 coach, but not Ayyoub."
Fitting into Maresca's midfield rebuild
City have faith in Bouaddi, although much of the expenditure is based on promise rather than a finished article. He is not someone who creates highlight reels but does the dirty work and plays for the team. Enzo Maresca is rebuilding a midfield for the long term after Rodri's departure for Barcelona and with a £52m deal agreed for Nico González to join Newcastle. Elliot Anderson arrived from Nottingham Forest as the first cog in the machine, and Enzo Fernández is also wanted by his former manager at Chelsea.
Rodri has won everything worth winning over the past decade while Bouaddi was growing up. Emulating the Spaniard will not be straightforward for a player who is a long way from being fully developed. "When Maresca asks him to do something tactically, he knows that 100% Ayyoub will take the best position for the team," Frison says. "He will respect the game model with intensity, even when he is tired; he will respect the process. Everyone wants a player who can make the difference individually because they can help you to win the game but you need reliable players who you can trust 100% during 60 games of the season. And Ayyoub, he's this kind of player."
