Manchester City Agree On Personal Terms With This Ligue 1 Midfielder: Good Signing For Maresca? | OneFootball

In a recent post on X, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester City have agreed on personal terms with Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi this off-season. It has been mentioned that the Mancunian club are hoping to finalise a move to land the Morocco international this summer.

Bouaddi’s Impressive Rise In French Football

Bouaddi enjoyed a good run of form at the French club in the previous campaign after he put in a series of impressive performances for them at the centre of the park. The 18-year-old failed to score but picked up one assist in 42 appearances for Lille last season in all competitions.

The Moroccan talent is currently among the talented central midfielders in Ligue 1. Hence, Man City would do well to get a deal done for him in this transfer period.

His current contract at Lille will run out in the summer of 2029. Thus, the Mancunian giants would have to make a convincing offer if they are serious about recruiting Bouaddi this month.

HARRISON, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 07: Ayyoub Bouaddi of Morocco runs with the ball during the international friendly match between Morocco and Norway at Sports Illustrated Stadium on June 07, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/Getty Images)

Will Bouaddi Be A Good Signing For Manchester City?

Bouaddi is a good tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to earn possession back for his side at the centre of the park. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is an accurate distributor as well.

The Morocco international can even create the odd chance for his teammates in the final third. Bouaddi is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also serve as a holding midfielder if told to do so by his manager. However, there are some question marks over whether he can adapt to the physical demands and high intensity of the Premier League if Man City manage to snap him up later this year.

We can expect Bouaddi to add more bite and steel to Enzo Maresca’s midfield department. He is good enough to compete for a regular first-team spot at the Mancunian club in the coming years.

At 18, Bouaddi has the potential to be a future star in English football as long as he continues to improve with each year. All in all, he would be a good signing for Man City to consider before the end of this transfer period.