Manchester City sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £85.6m
BBC Sport reports that Manchester City have completed the signing of Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a fee of £85.6 million, with an upfront payment of £81.4 million plus potential add-ons worth up to £4.2 million.
The 18-year-old joins on a five-year contract and follows several high-profile departures from Lille, including Rodri to Barcelona for £65 million, Tijjani Reinders to Al-Qadsiah for £52 million, and Nico Gonzalez to Newcastle in a deal worth up to £52 million.
Bouaddi's impressive performances at the recent World Cup, where he started five of Morocco's matches en route to the quarter-finals, have caught the attention of City. He expressed his delight:
"This is a very special day for me and my family... Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world. It's a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player."
Bouaddi continues a trend of young Moroccan talent moving to Europe's top clubs, solidifying his nation's reputation as a fertile ground for footballing prodigies.