Manchester City Signs Ayyoub Bouaddi for €95m
Manchester City have made their statement move of the summer, confirming the €95m (£81.4m) signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, with a further €5m in add-ons, and handing the 18-year-old a five-year deal.
The teenager will not be eased in. He goes straight into Enzo Maresca’s squad for Friday night’s trip to Crystal Palace, a rapid escalation for a player who only made his professional debut less than two years ago.
City’s midfield ripped up – and rebuilt
Bouaddi arrives as the latest pillar in a sweeping rebuild of City’s midfield. Nico González is on his way to Newcastle in a £52m deal, set to become the fourth senior central midfielder to depart this summer after Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders.
City have already spent big to reshape the core of Maresca’s side. Elliott Anderson came in from Nottingham Forest for £116m, and the club are preparing a move for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who is valued in west London at £120m.
Into that shifting landscape steps Bouaddi, a player City believe can anchor their next era.
Hugo Viana, City’s director of football, did not hold back on his assessment. “Ayyoub’s potential is extremely high – a player equipped with everything a top midfielder needs. At just 18, he already has outstanding football intelligence and that will only improve under the guidance of Enzo.”
Bouaddi has mainly operated as a No 6, dictating play from deep. At Lille, he became the club’s youngest ever player when he appeared against KÍ Klaksvík on 5 October 2023, just three days after his 16th birthday. From that moment his rise barely paused. He went on to make 96 appearances for the French side and establish himself as a Morocco international.
“I am happy with the progress I have made so far, but I also know I can improve so much,” he said after signing. “This is undoubtedly the best place for me to do that. This club demands trophies and I will give everything to make sure we are challenging for every title.”
The message is clear: City are betting heavily that the next great holding midfielder is already in their building.
Marmoush out, Spurs spend big again
Bouaddi’s arrival has been made possible by significant movement elsewhere in City’s squad.
Omar Marmoush is heading to Tottenham on loan for the season, with an obligation to buy for an initial £50m. Spurs have agreed to pay up to £10m in add-ons, half of which is guaranteed, and the 27-year-old will sign a four-year contract next summer with an option for a further year, subject to a medical.
City, who signed Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025, are not due to pass on a sell-on fee to the German club.
For Roberto De Zerbi, Marmoush is the centre-forward he has been pushing for. The Spurs manager has long wanted more firepower and reliability through the middle, with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison struggling to stay fit and maintain form. Marmoush, in De Zerbi’s eyes, represents a clear upgrade.
At the end of July, De Zerbi teased that Spurs had a “bomba” attacking signing lined up – a top-tier addition. In the end, he has two. Marmoush follows Sávio from City to north London, after Spurs completed a £75m plus £10m deal for the Brazilian winger on Tuesday.
The moves have taken time. De Zerbi admitted negotiations for Sávio began three days after the end of last season. He believes the delay will be justified once both players are on the pitch.
Spurs’ summer spend underlines their intent. The club have laid out £304.5m on Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Sávio, while also bringing in Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers.
City’s wide reshuffle
City, for their part, have already lined up Sávio’s replacement. They have agreed a £34m fee with Palmeiras for Allan Elias, who is set to come in as a wide forward option.
Taken together, the deals sketch out two clubs charging into the new season with radically retooled squads: City gambling on a teenage metronome to steer a rebuilt midfield, Spurs trusting De Zerbi’s “bomba” to finally ignite their attack.
