It's been two days since Ayyoub Bouaddi officially joined Manchester City from Lille in a transfer worth €95 million. Now, it's time for the Moroccan's debut.The Cityzens face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park tonight (22.00) in the opening game of the second Premier League round, and even though the teenager isn't expected to be in the starting XI, it would be no wonder if Enzo Maresca gave him a chance from the bench.##EDITORS_CHOICE##However, Bouaddi's story isn't interesting solely because of football and the fact that he is one of the world’s greatest prospects at the moment. It's quite the opposite, as he has an intriguing academic track record off the pitch.He became a member of Lille's senior squad at only 16, and while making his professional breakthrough, he was pursuing his passion for mathematics as well.At 15, Bouaddi won a national public-speaking competition at Élysée Palace, and a year later – one year ahead of schedule – he earned a French scientific baccalaureate with highest honors. Subsequently, he began studying for a degree in mathematics.Therefore, it's no wonder he was nicknamed "Einstein", which his former France U21 and new Man City teammate, Rayan Cherki, confirmed.Ayyoub Bouaddi is studying for a maths degree, alongside his move to Man City, proving he’s just as sharp off the pitch as he is on it 🧠📚“We used to call him ‘Einstein’ because he was different – while the rest of us focused on football, he was studying mathematics and… pic.twitter.com/qrXnso6nha— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 24, 2026 "We used to call him 'Einstein' because he was different. While the rest of us focused on football, he was studying mathematics and arriving at training as if nothing had happened,” the forward said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.Hence, not only did the Cityzens get a talented midfielder, but also a highly intelligent "brainiac", whose logical thinking and intellectual abilities can be very helpful on the pitch.The 18-year.old Ayyoub Bouaddi is the complete package.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 2Friday22.00: (5.00) Crystal Palace (4.10) Manchester City (1.70)Saturday14.30: (1.50) Liverpool (4.55) Nottingham Forest (5.90)17.00: (2.15) Bournemouth (3.40) Everton (3.40)17.00: (1.95) Coventry (3.50) Hull (3.90)19.30: (2.35) Tottenham (3.50) Newcastle (2.95)Sunday16.00: (1.90) Chelsea (3.50) Brighton (4.10)16.00: (2.65) Leeds (3.20) Brentford (2.75)16.00: (2.50) Sunderland (3.25) Fulham (2.90)18.30: (1.38) Manchester United (4.80) Ipswich (7.30)Monday22.00: (6.25) Aston Villa (4.00) Arsenal (1.55)***odds are subject to change***
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