Sunderland defender Thomas Meunier has taken aim at football’s ‘senseless’ transfer market after Ayyoub Bouaddi’s £85 million move from Lille to Manchester City in August.
Ayyoub Bouaddi: The best teenage talent in world football?
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Ayyoub Bouaddi was one of the standout pieces of business in Manchester City’s recent summer of upheaval, with Enzo Maresca moving to bring the highly-rated Morocco international to the Etihad Stadium for £85 million as part of a comprehensive midfield rebuild.
At just 18, the midfielder arrived with an enormous reputation and an enormous price-tag to match. It is that transfer fee that has now caught the attention of one of Bouaddi’s former colleagues.
Thomas Meunier, who lined up alongside the youngster at Lille before his own move to the Premier League in July, has used the deal to launch a withering critique of the modern game’s finances.
Meunier: You Can Buy A Donkey For £200 Million!
In an interview with The Athletic, Meunier praised Bouaddi's abilities but refused to defend the size of the transfer fee, insisting transfer prices have lost all connection with reality.
“He’s just transferred for £100 million. Ayyoub is unbelievable. But, I mean, we don’t need to speak about money, because there is no logic anymore,” Meunier said.
“You can buy a donkey for £200 million and a very good player for £20 million. There is no sense anymore.”
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca was full of praise for Ayyoub Bouaddi after the teenager's impressive outing against Porto on Tuesday night.cityxtra.co.uk"Unbelievable, He Was Very Good!" - Enzo Maresca Lauds Ayyoub Bouaddi After Eye-Catching Porto Display
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca was full of praise for Ayyoub Bouaddi after the teenager's impressive outing against Porto on Tuesday night.
It is worth noting that Meunier’s frustration was aimed at the unpredictable market rather than Bouaddi himself, with the defender making it clear that he rates his former team-mate extremely highly.
Manchester City are banking on the teenager developing into a long-term presence in midfield following the departure of Rodri. Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez also came into the club’s engine room in a summer that also saw Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez depart for pastures new.
A Reunion Awaits at the Etihad Stadium
Meunier will not have to wait long to come face to face with his old colleague, with Bouaddi and Manchester City hosting Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The fixture pits Meunier against Bouaddi, and also reunites the Belgian with another familiar face in Erling Haaland - his former team-mate from their time together at Borussia Dortmund.
Bouaddi will be hoping to feature before then, when Norwich City visit the Etihad Stadium in the Carabao Cup third round on Thursday night.
It appears he is being eased into action compared to fellow new midfielders Fernandez and Anderson, which makes sense given that he is by far the youngest of the trio and the only one with no prior Premier League experience.
He is also, however, stylistically the closest thing to Rodri that the current Manchester City squad has. It is hard to argue with Meunier’s assertion that fees have spiralled to remarkable heights.
On the other hand, if Bouaddi fulfills his obvious potential and stays at City for a decade or more, the fee paid for him could yet be made to look like a bargain. As with any big-money player, whether Bouaddi proves a shrewd investment or an expensive gamble will only become clear in the years to come.