NEW: Man City communicate plans to Ayyoub Bouaddi BUT Arsenal also still firmly in the race | OneFootball

Manchester City have reportedly intensified talks over signing Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, while Arsenal are also still in the running.

The talented young Morocco international has shone in Ligue 1 and also impressed with his national team at the 2026 World Cup, though his tournament ended with the recent defeat to France.

A recent report from the Guardian claimed Man City were keen on a potential £85m deal for Bouaddi, and there’s now been a new update.

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According to TEAMtalk, City have communicated to Bouaddi’s representatives that they want the player to come in straight away and become part of Enzo Maresca’s first-team.

They add that Arsenal remain ‘firmly’ in contention for Bouaddi, even if City have clearly been advancing on this one.

Should Ayyoub Bouaddi choose Arsenal or Manchester City?

A few years ago this would probably have been a no-brainer, with City the go-to destination for the world’s best players due to the chance to play under Pep Guardiola and get as good a guarantee as you can get of winning major trophies.

With Guardiola leaving this summer, though, there is no longer that guarantee, even if Maresca is also a good manager, and this remains a City squad full of world class players.

Arsenal are reigning Premier League champions and possibly the favourites to retain their title in 2026/27, so Bouaddi could do well to choose the Emirates Stadium for the next step in his career.

It’s not an easy decision, though, with City probably likely to be able to offer more money, while there’s actually also a lot of competition in Arsenal’s midfield at the moment.

The Gunners already have Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lewis-Skelly in that area of their squad, so there’s no guarantee Bouaddi would get regular minutes.

City, by contrast, probably need to start thinking about rebuilding their midfield a little bit as Rodri is not getting any younger and has had some injury problems in the last couple of years, with Bouaddi looking like an ideal long-term successor in that role.