Manchester City reach Ayyoub Bouaddi agreement

Manchester City are moving closer to completing the signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi, with reports claiming the Premier League champions have reached an agreement in principle with the Lille midfielder over a long-term contract.

The Morocco international has emerged as one of Europe's most sought-after young midfielders this summer, but City now appear to have stolen a march on Arsenal as they continue reshaping their midfield ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

According to reports from Italy, Manchester City have agreed the framework of a deal with Bouaddi that would keep the midfielder at the club until 2031.

While personal terms are understood to be in place, negotiations with Lille are still required before the transfer can be completed.

Bouaddi has attracted strong interest from across Europe, with Arsenal holding initial discussions earlier in the transfer window as Mikel Arteta looked to strengthen his midfield options. However, City have now positioned themselves at the front of the queue for the highly-rated youngster.

Although Manchester City are progressing with the deal, Lille remain determined to maximise the transfer fee.

Club president Olivier Létang recently suggested that only an offer exceeding £100 million would convince the French side to sell, comparing Bouaddi's value to some of the biggest transfers in the market.

"When I see Anderson move to Manchester City for £116 million and Tonali to Tottenham for £100 million, and they don't have the potential for development that Ayyoub has because he possesses unique qualities."

"I have a price in mind, and we'll see what happens."

The comments underline Lille's confidence in Bouaddi's potential and suggest negotiations could still prove challenging despite City's progress with the player.

Manchester City signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

The reported £116 million transfer represents one of the biggest deals of the summer and forms part of City's wider midfield rebuild.

With Anderson secured and Bouaddi edging closer, City appear determined to refresh one of the strongest midfield units in European football.

Manchester City will now focus on reaching an agreement with Lille over Bouaddi's transfer fee, with negotiations expected to continue in the coming days. Meanwhile, Anderson's arrival potentially paving the way for City to accelerate the next phase of their midfield rebuild.