Ayyoub Bouaddi, an 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder, has completed a move from Lille OSC to Manchester City for a reported fee of €100 million, making him the most expensive player ever sold by a French Ligue 1 club to a foreign side and the second most expensive African player in football history. Manchester City confirmed the transfer on Wednesday, 26 August, with Bouaddi signing a five-year contract at the English club.

Bouaddi spent two full seasons in Lille's senior squad — the northern French club formally known as Lille Olympique Sporting Club — establishing himself as a composed, technically gifted central midfielder capable of dictating tempo and winning back possession. His fee surpasses the €62 million Lille received for French defender Leny Yoro, who joined Manchester United two years ago, and places Bouaddi just behind Ivorian prodigy Yann Diomandé, who moved to Real Madrid for €140 million earlier this summer. Former Lille teammate Olivier Giroud offered warm words at his departure: "We're losing a great young player, but above all a wonderful person. It was quite emotional when he spoke in the dressing room."

The transfer comes after a breakout summer for Bouaddi on the international stage. Having chosen to represent Morocco — the Lions of the Atlas — over France despite holding eligibility for both countries, he made his competitive debut for the North African nation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States. He started five of Morocco's six matches at the tournament, including a round-of-16 encounter against the Netherlands, and impressed observers with a maturity well beyond his years. "It is a dream to be here and to say I am a City player," Bouaddi said in the club's official announcement. "I still have a lot of progress to make, and this is without doubt the best place to do it."

At City, Bouaddi fills a significant void in central midfield created by the departures of Spaniard Rodri to FC Barcelona, Bernardo Silva, and Dutch international Tijjani Reijnders. The club had already brought in midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest earlier in the window. Bouaddi's arrival is seen as a long-term investment: while he has yet to score a professional goal — an acknowledged area for development — his ability to control the rhythm of play and his calm under pressure mark him out as a player of considerable potential. Manchester City have signed him not for what he already is, but for what he is expected to become.