City have told Ayyoub Bouaddi they’re prepared to bring him straight into Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad rather than send him back to Lille on loan, according to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey.
It marks a shift from City’s earlier openness to a loan-back structure, and comes after Hugo Viana and Maresca held further discussions over the 18-year-old’s development. City are said to believe Bouaddi is already capable of competing for first-team minutes rather than needing another season in Ligue 1.
The change in stance follows City stepping back from a move for Sandro Tonali and growing more reluctant to meet Newcastle’s valuation of Bruno Guimaraes, redirecting their attention toward the Morocco international as a long-term successor to Rodri in midfield.
Bouaddi’s representatives are said to be in talks with a number of clubs, with Arsenal remaining firmly in contention and happy to accommodate either an immediate move or a loan-back, while Liverpool and Manchester United are also credited with interest given City’s shift. Lille are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £85m.
It’s the latest twist in a saga that has run since the early weeks of the window, when City were first credited with interest in Bouaddi as a possible right-back option before their focus settled on his long-term midfield fit. Nothing is decided, and Bouaddi’s own preference on club and pathway still looks like the deciding factor.
This piece draws on reporting from TEAMtalk and has not been independently confirmed by Manchester City.
