Manchester City Pays $117 Million for Moroccan Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi

One hundred million euros for an 18-year-old who hasn't scored a single goal in his professional career yet. That's how bold Manchester City's bet on Ayyoub Bouaddi is, the Moroccan midfielder arriving from Lille to eventually try to fill the void left by Rodri.

The English club confirmed the signing in an official statement, detailing that Bouaddi signed a five-year contract. No official figures were released, but the French newspaper L'Equipe put the deal at 100 million euros (about $117 million), a fee that makes the Moroccan the most expensive player ever to leave Ligue 1, surpassing even the 90 million euros Saudi club Al Hilal paid Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar in 2023.

To understand the context, you have to look back a few weeks: Rodri, the 2024 men's Ballon d'Or winner and a key piece of City for years, left for Barcelona after helping Spain win the World Cup. Replacing a player of that caliber is no easy task, and new manager Enzo Maresca decided to strike hard in the market to start building the replacement.

Maresca took over the City bench in June on a three-year contract, following a somewhat turbulent exit from Chelsea. He inherited the project left behind by Pep Guardiola after a decade that completely transformed the way English soccer is understood. The team already opened the season with a tight 2-1 win over Bournemouth, sealed by two late goals.

A Talent Already Turning Heads

Bouaddi is no stranger to the spotlight. He drew attention at the recent World Cup for his polished technique, his reading of the game and a maturity that's striking for his age, but at Lille they were already comparing him to Eden Hazard as the best midfielder to come out of the club's academy in years. He joined that academy in 2021 and, just three days after turning 16, became the youngest player ever to debut in a European competition, in a Conference League match against KI Klaksvik last October.

He's a nearly complete midfielder, save for one detail: scoring. He didn't net a single goal in 96 appearances for Lille, and he hasn't scored in the eight matches he's played for the Morocco national team either.

The player himself didn't hide his excitement over the move he just made.

This is a very special day for me and my family. I've watched City for many years and I love their style of play. City always try to play quality football. And they've proven they're winners, this club seems built to win.Ayyoub Bouaddi

He also made clear he knows this is just the beginning.

I'm only 18. I'm happy with the progress I've made so far, but I also know I can improve a lot. This is, without a doubt, the best place to do that.Ayyoub Bouaddi

Lille, a Factory of Big-Money Transfers

The deal confirms something that's been building for a while: Lille has earned a reputation as one of the most profitable academies in Europe. The club from northern France sold Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal in 2019 for 80 million euros, and did the same the following year with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, sold to Napoli for a similar fee.

The list goes on: Manchester United paid 62 million euros for center back Leny Yoro two years ago, while last year goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier left for Paris Saint-Germain for 40 million euros and defender Bafode Diakite moved to Bournemouth for a similar amount. With Bouaddi, the French club once again proves it knows how to develop talent, and above all, how to sell it.