CEO takes hands-on role in pursuit of Moroccan teenager
Ferran Soriano sat down with Lille president Olivier Létang at the end of June for direct talks over Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to new reports. The Manchester City CEO's involvement signals just how seriously the club are taking this one.
The meeting took place as the summer window entered a more active phase, with Soriano and other City representatives engaging directly with Létang over the 18-year-old midfielder's situation. Soriano's presence at the table is a clear indication that this pursuit has been fully sanctioned at the highest level of the club's executive hierarchy.
Bouaddi has been one of the most compelling young midfielders to emerge from French football in recent seasons. His performances for Lille and for Morocco at the World Cup have drawn attention from several of Europe's leading clubs throughout this window.
City's interest in the Morocco international has been well-established over multiple months of reporting. The club view him as a long-term investment in their midfield rather than an immediate first-team solution.
The core disagreement between the clubs centres on timing. Lille want Bouaddi to stay for at least one more season of development, while City are pushing to complete his signing this summer and structure his immediate future around a loan arrangement back to the French club. That position aligns with earlier reporting that City's preferred plan was to sign him now before loaning him back to Lille for the 2026-27 season.
Lille's asking price, previously reported by French sources at between £67 million and £84 million, remains a further factor. No agreement is in place yet despite the high-level meeting.
Director of football Hugo Viana has already committed significant resource to the midfield this summer through the Anderson deal, but the Bouaddi pursuit confirms that City's ambitions in that area extend beyond what has already been confirmed.
Whether the gap between Lille's preference for retention and City's desire to conclude a deal this summer can be bridged — and whether a loan-back structure ultimately provides the compromise both parties can agree on — is now the central question.