Manchester City to Sign Ayyoub Bouaddi, Leaving Liverpool Behind
Liverpool’s summer rebuild is ticking along, but one intriguing midfield option is slipping away – and heading straight into the hands of a Premier League rival.
Rodri’s move to Barcelona has triggered a chain reaction at Manchester City, and Liverpool look like collateral damage. City have moved quickly to close in on Lille’s highly rated midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, a player who had been on Liverpool’s radar after a standout World Cup campaign for Morocco.
At 18, Bouaddi is one of the most talked‑about young midfielders in Europe. According to Fabrizio Romano, City have already agreed personal terms with the teenager and are now finalising the deal with Lille. The fee is expected to be huge, with reports suggesting the French club’s valuation could soar beyond $100 million.
Earlier suggestions from France indicated Lille wanted Bouaddi back on loan for a year. That idea has been pushed aside. Romano reports that Bouaddi will join City immediately, slotting straight into Enzo Maresca’s squad, which has already been strengthened by the $157 million arrival of Elliot Anderson earlier in the window.
Impact on Liverpool
For Liverpool, it quietly stings.
Andoni Iraola’s side are not desperate for midfielders right now, but the club has been actively scanning the market as it reshapes the squad. The main work so far has come at the back, with Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo arriving at Anfield in search of more minutes and a bigger role in their careers.
Up front, the recruitment drive has picked up pace too. Victor Munoz has already joined the forward line, and Liverpool are pushing to add more firepower out wide. PSG duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye are both targets, with their versatility on either flank making them particularly attractive options.
Only once the wide areas are addressed is Liverpool expected to turn fully towards the centre of the pitch. On paper, Iraola’s midfield remains well stocked. In reality, it is shifting.
Curtis Jones is expected to leave, while uncertainty lingers over Alexis Mac Allister’s contract situation. Those two factors opened the door to speculation around possible new arrivals, with Bouaddi one of the standout names linked to Anfield.
City’s move closes that door.
Liverpool will not panic. Trey Nyoni’s emergence last season, followed by an eye-catching preseason, has given Iraola another internal solution. The youngster now looks capable of carving out a long-term role in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield.
Around him, the foundations are already laid. Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Florian Wirtz are all tied to long-term deals, giving Liverpool a core that can anchor the engine room for years if kept intact.
That said, the picture could look very different in 12 months. If Mac Allister enters the final year of his contract next summer, the need for another top-level midfielder may become urgent.
When that moment comes, though, Ayyoub Bouaddi will not be on the list. He will be wearing sky blue.
