City close in on Bouaddi as midfield rebuild takes shape
Manchester City's midfield overhaul is gathering pace, with the club reportedly on the verge of securing Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.
According to Foot Mercato's Hanif Ben Berkane, City have accelerated their pursuit of the 18-year-old, and negotiations between the two clubs have now entered what he describes as the 'final phase'. The same report puts the potential fee at up to €100 million, with the final details still being ironed out.
Fabrizio Romano has since backed up that version of events on X, suggesting a deal is now very close and that talks are in their final stages.
The hold-up, such as it is, appears to be down to the player himself. It seemed a couple of weeks ago that Bouaddi would be a City player, but he has been resting after representing Morocco at the World Cup, and that pause has contributed to the delay.
For Enzo Maresca, Bouaddi would offer a specialist number-six option in front of the back four — a profile the squad has been missing. At 18, he would be a signing for the present as much as the future.
The move comes alongside the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, adding further depth to an engine room that is being reshaped. City, remember, go into the new season as FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders, and the squad is being assembled with another tilt at the lot in mind.