Lille president says Manchester City target Ayyoub Bouaddi ‘should stay another year’ | OneFootball

Lille OSC president Olivier Létang has said that Ayyoub Bouaddi (18), the subject of intense interest from the Premier League, should remain with his formative club for another year.

Even prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Bouaddi was hot property. Having played in the UEFA Champions League at the age of 16, he has been on the radars of top clubs across Europe, particularly in the Premier League. However, his performances for Morocco in North America, particularly his display against Brazil, have bolstered his value to the extent that LOSC now value their midfielder at €100m, as per The Athletic.

The publication added earlier this week that Manchester City were “pushing hard” to sign Bouaddi. Arsenal and Manchester United are also in the race, but Paris Saint-Germain are not looking to add a midfielder this summer. 

Manchester City would have no intention of loaning the Morocco international back to Lille, should they agree a deal, but Letang, speaking in a press conference on Thursday, said that he believes the midfielder should stay at the Stade Pierre Mauroy for a further season.

“We have seen each other since his return from the World Cup. I can’t say what was said. Everything is possible, but my opinion is that he should stay with us another season. My conviction is that there is a strong chance that he stays with us and he would be very happy to do so,” said Létang.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle