The season is already underway, the transfer window is nearing its conclusion, and Manchester City had run out of time. They had to step things up and get serious if they were not to throw the entire campaign away. And so, on the same day, they agreed deals for two new signings. Just a few hours after securing Alan from Palmeiras, the English runners-up also completed one of their biggest targets of the current transfer window — 18-year-old Ayoub Bouaddi. Confirmed by multiply sources both in England and France, Manchester City have reached an agreement with Lille after several weeks of negotiations for the signing of the hugely talented Moroccan midfielder, who will become the third-most expensive purchase in the English club’s history. It will also be the third incoming transfer worth 100,000,000 euros or more completed by the club from the blue side of Manchester. And the second one in the space of just two months.Elliot Anderson became the club’s record signing around a month ago after Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest 135,000,000 euros for him, while the only player more expensive than Bouaddi was Jack Grealish, who cost 117,000,000 euros. The Moroccan will cost the English club a round 100,000,000 euros, with The Athletic reporting that the figure includes bonuses. Those are relatively minor, however, as the guaranteed fee stands at 95,000,000 euros. News of the agreement came just hours after Manchester City’s manager said the club would have to find a “new Rodri”, following the Spanish midfielder’s 60,000,000-euro move to Barcelona. However, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is not the only player who needs replacing. City had previously sold Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah for 61,000,000 euros, while Bernardo Silva also left the Etihad at the end of last season when his contract expired. There is also speculation that Nico Gonzalez could leave the club.City bad again, but Cherki is the savior against BournemouthAll this means that Bouaddi alone will not be enough… That is why City launched an offensive for Enzo Fernandez last week, although they failed to meet the deadline set by Chelsea, so it remains to be seen whether the Argentine midfielder is still an option. As for Bouaddi, he confirmed his enormous potential at the recently concluded World Cup, where he was one of Morocco’s key players on their run to the quarter-finals. He started five of their six matches at the tournament and particularly impressed in the group-stage clash with Brazil (1-1), where he had more touches of the ball than any of his teammates. Interestingly, he made his senior Morocco debut only in May, having previously represented France at every youth level from U16 to U21.🎥🇲🇦 Un supporter demande à Ayyoub Bouaddi : « Tu restes à Lille ou tu t’en vas ? »🗣️ Bouaddi : « On verra… »🥹 Un enfant lui lance alors : « Reste encore une saison ! » ❤️🤍🇲🇦 Un moment touchant avant son départ vers Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/gTDr64ZLrT— Lion Times 🇲🇦 (@LionTimes_) August 23, 2026 At club level, Bouaddi had already attracted plenty of attention by becoming the youngest debutant in Lille’s history. Now he is also the club’s most expensive sale. The previous record was held by Nicolas Pepe, whose move to Arsenal brought Lille 80,000,000 euros, but the Moroccan teenager will comfortably surpass that figure. Ayoub made his senior debut in the Conference League in September 2023, aged just 16 years and three days. In the 2025/26 season, his third full campaign with the first team, he made as many as 42 appearances in all competitions and registered one assist. His performances helped the French club finish third in Ligue 1 and secure qualification for the Champions League. Bouaddi is a product of Lille’s academy, having joined it in 2021 at the insistence of Luis Campos, now a football adviser at Paris Saint-Germain.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1FridayArsenal – Coventry 3-0 (2-0)/Havertz 15, Saka 23, Odegaard 49/SaturdayHull – Manchester United 2-0 (2-0)/Ajayi 17, Mendy 38/Everton – Crystal Palace 2-0 (1-0)/Dewsbury-Hall 42, Barry 53/Ipswich – Sunderland 2-1 (1-1)/Emersonn 24, Clarke 90 – Angulo 39/Nottingham Forest – Leeds 0-1 (0-0)/Stach 88/Brentford – Tottenham 3-0 (2-0)/Lewis-Potter 12, Janelt 33, Kayode 49/SundayBrighton – Aston Villa 4-0 (4-0)/Lindelof 8(og), De Cuyper 18, Hinshelwood 30, 31/Manchester City -Bournemouth 2-1 (0-1)/Guehi 84, Gvardiol 90+1 – Tavernier 26/Newcastle – Liverpool 2-2 (1-0)/Elanga 5, Willock 57 – Gakpo 55, Szoboszlai 90' +9 (p)/Monday22.00: (3.70) Fulham (3.80) Chelsea (2.00)***odds are subject to change***