Manchester City break the bank for Bouaddi to offset Rodri's departure to Barcelona

Little, or virtually nothing, about Manchester City 's midfield will resemble the one Pep Guardiola was left with after the departures of Bernardo Silva and Rodrigo Hernández. First, they made Elliot Anderson the most expensive signing in their history... and they have just invested another 100 million euros —95 fixed and five in variables— in Ayyoub Bouaddi (Senlis, 2007) , who surpasses Nicolas Pepe as Lille 's biggest sale. He signs until 2031.

"For me, Manchester City is the best club in the world. It is a dream to be here and to be able to call myself a City player. I have dedicated most of my life to working hard to become the best player possible and reach the top of football," were Bouaddi 's first words as a new "cityzen" player.

He is barely 18 years old. But he leaves a Lille side that made him the youngest debutant in its history —16 years and three days old— with a total of 96 matches under his belt. A real ‘veteran’ who had already made a name for himself in the Champions 23-24 through his performances against Real Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool or Borussia Dortmund. In the opener against Angers with Davide Ancelotti in charge, however, he did not suit up and was seen saying goodbye to the fans who had traveled to the Stade Raymond Kopa.

At just 18 years old, he already possesses exceptional football intelligence

"At just 18 years old, he already possesses exceptional football intelligence, and that will only continue to improve under the guidance of Enzo Maresca," said Hugo Viana, Manchester City's sporting director. "We have followed him very closely and, throughout this entire process, we have become increasingly convinced that he is a great talent who will succeed at City".

His rise through the youth ranks of the French national team was meteoric… to the point of donning the captain’s armband with the U21 while being one of the youngest players in the squad. However, Morocco came calling, offering him the chance to play at the 2026 World Cup , and he decided not to wait for ‘Les Bleus’.

"I have made my choice and I am very proud of it. It is a relief to have made this decision. I am very happy to represent my country, Morocco . A big thank you to the Moroccan people and I hope we achieve beautiful things together. My family was very happy," clarified Bouaddi himself on the eve of the World Cup.

' Ouahbi put him straight into the starting eleven against Brazil and he delivered a debut to remember, in which he showed his overwhelming personality to receive the ball in deeper areas, withstand the opponents' pressure, and bring dynamism to the play through his passing. "He didn't impress me, because I already knew what kind of player he was. People get excited about him. Performing the way he did, at such a young age, is great. But remember that he has played big matches in the Champions ," said the Moroccan coach.'

I wasn't impressed, because I already knew what kind of player he was

"It is true that he went from more to less as the tournament progressed. But his performances were convincing enough to firmly place him on the radar of teams like Real Madrid, PSG or a Manchester City that, although it sounded out other names such as Enzo Fernández or Adam Wharton , has broken the bank to sign the Moroccan.

In principle, he arrives at the Etihad with the label of being a starter in midfield alongside Elliot Anderson . In addition to Rodri and Bernardo, Reijnders headed to Al Qadsiah and Nico González is finalizing his move to Newcastle . Against Bournemouth , Guéhi even started as an "anchor".

'The responsibility is enormous. Above all, considering where it comes from, Manchester City. "I still have a lot to improve," acknowledged Bouaddi himself. But, at every step he has taken during his early years of his career, he has always shown that the challenges were never too big for him.'