Manchester City has signed Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French club Lille on a five-year deal.
The 18-year-old will stay at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2031.
Bouaddi arrives in Manchester after making a name for himself as one of the best young midfielders in Europe.
He became Lille’s youngest senior player when he debuted just days after his 16th birthday in 2023.
He made 96 appearances for the French team.
The young player also impressed for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup. He started five out of six matches as Morocco reached the quarter-finals.
After moving to City, Bouaddi said he wants to put the team first before personal goals.
In a statement from the club’s website on Wednesday, City said, “Ayyoub Bouaddi has already put pen to paper on his deal to play for Manchester City and now he’ll be looking to sign his name in the hearts of Blues fans.
Bouaddi has already achieved so much in his fledgling career and he’s still only 18.
He became the youngest footballer to ever play for Lille when he made his senior debut just a few days after turning 16 in 2023.”
Bouaddi’s signing comes as City works on rebuilding its midfield after losing Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Tijjani Reijnders.
He joins England midfielder Elliot Anderson as one of the team’s key midfield signings this summer. City is still looking for more options in that position.
The Moroccan midfielder will aim to keep improving at the Etihad and make his mark under manager Enzo Maresca.
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