Ayyoub Bouaddi has looked back on the protracted wait to complete his summer switch to Manchester City and how he remained calm throughout the life-changing saga.
Ayyoub Bouaddi has made an eye-catching start to life in England.
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Bouaddi has settled seamlessly into life at Manchester City since his arrival, making his maiden start for the club in the Champions League victory away at Porto.
His £85.6 million capture from Lille, however, was anything but a straightforward piece of business; the teenager’s future was up in the air for much of City’s summer before the deal was finally pushed through in late August.
One of the most coveted young midfielders anywhere in Europe, Bouaddi had no shortage of suitors, and it was not until deep into the window that City eventually saw off the competition to land their man.
For all that lingering uncertainty, the youngster never appeared remotely flustered. In some of his first public comments about the move, he has explained precisely how he kept a lid on his emotions while his future hung in the balance.
Bouaddi opens up on his Manchester City wait
Reflecting on a summer in which his next destination was the subject of endless speculation, Bouaddi explained that his unshakeable calm demeanour simply comes naturally.
“It’s part of my personality. That is who I am and I try to be myself,” he said in conversation with the Manchester Evening News. “I wouldn’t say that I didn’t care about [the long wait to join City in summer] - of course I cared because it’s about my future and my life but I stayed really calm. I’m someone who just watches what will happen and enjoys life.”
The wait, of course, ultimately proved worthwhile, and there is no mistaking his delight at finally getting the deal done.
“Of course I was ready to move to City, to sign here, and now I am here I am really happy. I’m really proud,” he added. “I just want to enjoy it and show that every day.”
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.
A composed start to life at City
That serenity carried straight onto the pitch. Despite the pressure of stepping into a midfield that had just lost Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Tijani Reijnders, and he justified that faith with an assured display in Porto, coming in for Elliot Anderson and helping his new teammates to a clean sheet.
“I’m really happy to have won this game, I really enjoyed this game with my new teammates,” Bouaddi said.
“They help me to play in the good conditions and when you have players of such quality next to you it is easy to play, and this is going to be even better in the future.”
Why Bouaddi grew up watching City
One thing that must not be forgotten is that Bouaddi arrives as the latest addition to a growing crop of City players who grew up following the club.
Barely old enough to kick a ball when Sergio Aguero clinched the club’s maiden top-flight crown back in 2012, he owned a Riyad Mahrez shirt as a youngster and counts Ilkay Gundogan, Yaya Toure, Kevin De Bruyne and the aforementioned Rodri among his boyhood favourites.
That is just one more reason why he must have been thrilled with the much-discussed 1-0 win for City at Old Trafford last week. “It’s one of the most important games, if not the most important game of the year,” he said prior to the narrow win over Manchester United. “It means a lot for the fans and for us.”
"We have a lot of good players in the team. There is a lot of competition, everyone can challenge for everybody to start a game. Everyone can start games. It’s up to every player to show in training and in games. That is football."
Having taken every twist of a chaotic summer in his stride, Bouaddi looks perfectly at ease. While Enzo Fernandez and Anderson are likely to start more games in City's midfield in the short term, the real heir to Rodri could be developing under the radar.
Bouaddi also grabbed an assist in City's 5-0 Carabao Cup third round win over Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night and could have earned a start against Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.