Manchester City is in active discussions to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille OSC, with a notable twist: the Premier League side is considering loaning the 18-year-old midfielder straight back to the French club for the entire 2026-27 season.
The proposed deal would see Lille pocket a transfer fee in the range of €80M to €100M.
A teenager with a record book and a passport full of stamps
Born on October 2, 2007, Bouaddi holds the record as Lille’s youngest player to reach 50 Ligue 1 appearances.
He has already earned senior international caps for Morocco despite his age. His professional contract with Lille was originally signed in August 2023, when he was 15, and extended in December 2025 until June 2029.
