Manchester City and Lille agreed on a transfer fee of €95 million plus €5 million in bonuses for 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Bouaddi will sign a five-year contract with an option for an additional sixth year following medical tests.
Lille left Bouaddi out of their matchday squad against Angers on 23 August 2026 to protect the pending transfer from injury.
Manchester City and Lille have finalized terms for the transfer of 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for a total package of €100 million. The structure of the transaction consists of a fixed base fee of €95 million with an additional €5 million tied to performance bonuses. The Moroccan international is set to sign a five-year contract in Manchester that includes an option for an additional sixth season. Bouaddi is scheduled to complete his mandatory medical assessments before the contract is formally registered. The agreement concludes several weeks of direct negotiations between the two clubs over the valuation of the academy graduate.
Lille manager Davide Ancelotti initially selected Bouaddi in the squad traveling to face Angers in their Ligue 1 season opener on Sunday at 15:00. Club leadership subsequently removed the young number 6 from the match sheet to safeguard the pending transaction against injury complications. Despite his exclusion from the playing squad, Bouaddi joined his teammates on the pitch during pre-match preparations before watching from the sidelines. Lille sporting coordinator Sylvain Armand explained the club's protective measures during an interview on Ligue 1+ before kickoff.
“Things have moved forward well in the last few hours regarding his departure. We are protecting him, for the club and for him as well. We didn't take any risks, we prepared this week without him.”
Armand added that while a few remaining details required final resolution, the transfer was practically complete.
“There are still details to settle, the deal is not far off.”
The acquisition represents a second substantial financial outlay by Manchester City to retool their central midfield options during the summer window. The English side faced vacancies in the middle of the pitch following the departure of Bernardo Silva and the sale of Rodri to FC Barcelona for approximately €75 million. To address those absences, City previously completed the signing of England international midfielder Elliot Anderson for a fee of €135 million. Bouaddi will now integrate into the squad to partner Anderson and complete the club's newly restructured midfield group.
Data from the article text
The €100 million transaction establishes a new benchmark as the highest fee ever received by a French club for a player moving to a foreign league, eclipsing the record previously set by Paris Saint-Germain when Neymar Jr joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023. For Lille, the sale surpasses their previous club record, which was set in 2019 when Nicolas Pépé transferred to Arsenal for €80 million. Club president Olivier Létang had expressed a desire in mid-July to retain the midfielder, while acknowledging the economic reality of market offers.
“There are numbers for which it would be a mistake not to make a transfer.”
Bouaddi leaves his formative club after two seasons in Lille's senior squad, amassing 96 appearances across all competitions. During his tenure, he featured in Champions League matches against European clubs including Real Madrid and Juventus, and earned international recognition with Morocco during the World Cup, notably in their fixture against Brazil.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarFootball · Lille, Manchester, and Angers
Manchester City and Lille have agreed on a €100 million transfer package for 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who will sign a five-year contract with an optional extra year.
AI text based on reports by Le Parisien, Le Figaro.fr, 20minutes and other publishers. Published .