Giroud's Verdict on City's Midfield Target

When a player is being talked about in the same breath as N'Golo Kante, Patrick Vieira and Sergio Busquets, it is fair to say expectations rise. That is the company Ayyoub Bouaddi now keeps, at least in the eyes of his Lille teammate Olivier Giroud.

Speaking to the BBC, the former Arsenal and Chelsea striker offered a detailed assessment of the 18-year-old, who is reportedly on City's radar. Giroud, who has shared a dressing room with Bouaddi for just over a year, was quick to point out the teenager's composure.

He's calm, confident, staying himself! I was talking with some friends, and they sent some pictures: Patrick Vieira and Sergio Busquets. They said he's a mix of both!

Giroud does not quite see Bouaddi as the finished article just yet. He concedes the youngster is not yet on Busquets' level technically, though he clearly has tools to work with. And while he might lack Vieira's raw power for now, Giroud expects that to come with time.

The one area where Bouaddi needs work, according to Giroud, is in front of goal. Finishing and a more aggressive edge in the final third are the improvements required, something the Lille camp have apparently been teasing him about all season.

That Giroud is well placed to make such comparisons goes without saying. He played alongside Kante at Chelsea and for France, giving him a direct reference point when he says Bouaddi is "a bit like N'Golo" in the way he covers ground.

Pressure and Price Tag

All of which paints a picture of a player with a big future. But the here and now is rather more complicated. Lille's asking price stands at a hefty €100m (£85.5m), and there are concerns that such a figure could weigh heavily on young shoulders.

Should the move to the Etihad go through, Bouaddi would be expected to hit the ground running. Those are big boots to fill, and the pressure would be immediate, particularly after the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal left head coach Enzo Maresca keen to add fresh faces before the window closes.

Whether City meet that asking price remains to be seen. What is clear is that Bouaddi has admirers in high places, and one of them has seen enough up close to believe the hype.