Exactly what Manchester City need in midfield is set to arrive
Manchester City are the verge of finally completing their move to sign midfield prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. Fabrizio Romano has reported today that Bouaddi is scheduled to fly into Manchester today to complete his medical and sign a five-year contract with City. It is also reported that Manchester City will pay Lille €95 million plus €5 million in add-ons. In terms of what Bouaddi will add to Enzo Maresca’s squad, he will add exactly what City need in midfield and Bouaddi could potentially be a player that Manchester City’s midfield is built around, alongside Elliot Anderson, if he develops as expected.
Manchester City are landing arguably the most prodigiously talented young midfielder in Europe.
Ayyoub Bouaddi burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old. In October of 2024, on his 17th birthday, Bouaddi inspired Lille to a famous 1-0 win over Real Madrid. Lille’s victory was a famous night for them. It was also the night that Ayyoub Bouaddi announced himself as a potential star of the future. The Moroccan international dictated the tempo of that match with maturity well beyond his years. Bouaddi’s breakout display came against a Real Madrid midfield that contained Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga. That performance speaks to how talented Bouaddi is.
In an interview published with the BBC, Moroccan football expert Amine el Amri had high praise for Bouaddi and his potential. He added that there are shades of Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets in Bouaddi’s game. He explained: “*He has the potential to be one of the best midfielders ever in the game, not just for Morocco, he has such talent but he has to keep his cool and his feet on the ground. You can’t be a star if you don’t work hard enough.*”
“*At first glance, he reminds you a lot of [former Spain and Barcelona midfielder] Sergio Busquets. He is very tall but also not very muscular. Normally you would get players with muscles in the number six or eight position.*“
“*What he does best is keep his cool when he has the ball and when he is pressing. He doesn’t commit a lot of fouls, which is what made Busquets a complete midfielder.*“
Ayyoub Bouaddi will arrive at City with a clear role to play in their midfield.
It is expected that Ayyoub Bouaddi will slot straight into Manchester City’s midfield, alongside Elliot Anderson. Bouaddi can play as a number six or as a number eight. The positional versatility that Bouaddi possesses will be something that Enzo Maresca will tap into. The Moroccan midfielder can anchor a midfield and his ability to win duels is a key attribute to his game. Ayyoub Bouaddi’s strength in a duel does look ideally suited to playing in the Premier League. When you add in that Bouaddi stands six foot one tall, he has the size to deal with the physical nature of the Premier League.
In possession, Bouaddi is a two-footed player which helps him play his way out of trouble when receiving possession and with his passing. Ayyoub Bouaddi is also an elegant dribbler who uses his long strides to progress up the pitch and out of trouble. There is plenty of scope for Bouaddi to grow as a player. He has the potential to become better and more dangerous in the final third but the base attributes are there for that to occur.
Manchester City have finally got the first of their midfield reinforcements on the way now that they have agreed to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. Bouaddi will have a role to play for Enzo Maresca’s side as soon as he arrives at the club. Bouaddi is only 18, so he shouldn’t be expected to be the star contributor for Manchester City just yet. But Ayyoub Bouaddi will be an important contributor for his new team as his career path has shown for both Lille and Morocco.