Ayyoub Bouaddi transfer: Why do Man City want to spend big on another midfielder after signing Elliot Anderson?

23.08.2026, 17:12 skysports.com

Those who followed Morocco's recent World Cup campaign will recognise the name Ayyoub Bouaddi. Perhaps those who only took a passing glance will remember him, too. He tends to stand out.

Aside from his throwback curly mop of hair, the way he dominated the big stage with effortless grace over the summer got people talking. The Lille midfielder excelled in his fledgling role at his first major international tournament, particularly noticeable in a group-stage bout with Brazil.

But this was not the first time Carlo Ancelotti found himself ruminating over an opposition player who was "better in the duels" than his own.

Ancelotti's Brazilian midfield was comprised of the experienced Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes, and yet somehow it was Bouaddi that beamed brightest. It struck a familiar chord.

The French-born youngster made his competitive debut for Lille in 2023, just three days after his 16th birthday. On the day he turned 17, he embarked on his full Champions League debut to help his side beat then-European holders Real Madrid. Ancelotti's Real.

That result ended the European giants' 14-game unbeaten run in the competition, as Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham were contained by an "incredible" performance from a player barely anyone outside of France had heard of. He covered more ground than anyone else on the pitch.

That was the night, as then-Lille manager Bruno Genesio described it, the precocious young talent "made a name for himself". Ancelotti's praise has since extended as far as to call him "one of the best young players in the world".

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Bouaddi's radar has been steadily sounding from then. Scouts have flocked from afar to watch him; Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich among his admirers. But the race has been won by Manchester City as they seek to soften the blow of Rodri's exit to Barcelona.

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Bouaddi, still only 18, has already shown his raw potential to be somewhat more rarefied than his teenage years suggest. He out-ranked every club team-mate for possession wins (151) last season. His recovery wins per 90 (5.8) were top, too.

"He's got so much talent I can easily see him reaching Rodri's level," French football expert Julien Laurens told Sky Sports recently. "He's smart, has great mobility off the ball and can break up attacks. His passing needs to improve. But, at 18, you take a gamble, especially for that fee."

Enzo Maresca wants to integrate the Morocco international immediately, believing firmly in his Premier League readiness given he has already made close to 100 competitive appearances for Lille. It is not difficult to understand the appeal of a player who has already shown how scaleable his talents are at elite level.

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So, what are Man City getting? Bouaddi functions as a deep-lying controller, already in the template of Rodri. He's much more of a tactical anchor than Elliot Anderson, signed for £116m from Nottingham Forest this summer, who is more of a box-to-box runner. Such a combination should prove complementary in Maresca's preferred system.

Few of Bouaddi's age possess such a rare blend of physicality off the ball and poise and balance in possession. His accelerated experience has given him a competitive advantage over most peers of a similar maturity.

He's tall and strong but can also glide - akin to Rodri's ability to escape pressure - making him an excellent carrier of the ball over distances. His passing display at the World Cup, not perfect but promising, was yet more evidence of his suitability for City. Rayan Cherki, a team-mate of Bouaddi in France's development teams, once dubbed him 'Einstein'.

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The need to move for Bouaddi now became abundantly obvious after defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield. City's midfield went missing. Maresca needs qualitative depth to meet the demands of a season across 60-plus games, not to mention his system relies heavily on positionally smart but also combative midfielders. Bouaddi is both.

The loss of Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri all in the same summer significantly shifts the dynamic and structure of a squad that requires greater balance than it has now. Links have also been made to Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton.

But in Bouaddi, Maresca has found himself a defensive midfielder with very few weaknesses, both a receiver and a carrier. A player who competed for France at every youth level before switching allegiance to Morocco because of a hunger to play.

As with every new Premier League arrival, a period of adaptation will be required. That much is certain. Ligue 1 has often proved a tough leap.

But Bouaddi has not been targeted for future iterations of Manchester City; he is being signed for now. Evidence suggests he is ready to fulfil that duty.

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