City’s move for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has hit a fresh obstacle, with Lille president Olivier Letang reiterating his belief the 18-year-old will stay for another season.
Bouaddi has been strongly linked with City throughout the summer, with his stock rising sharply after an impressive World Cup with Morocco. He started five of their six games as they reached the quarter-finals, and became the second-youngest player on record to complete more than 50 passes in a World Cup match, in the group game against Brazil.
Speaking at a press conference, Letang said Bouaddi was “not in a hurry to leave” and pointed to the midfielder’s chance to play regular Champions League football at Lille. “I told you last time that I thought Ayyoub was going to stay with us, and I still stand by that,” he said.
Despite the public stance, Lille remain open to offers above £85m, and City are said to believe a bid at that level could still get a deal done. Personal terms have reportedly already been agreed on a contract running until 2031, with the fee the outstanding issue. City are said to have moved from an initial plan involving a loan back to Lille towards wanting Bouaddi in Enzo Maresca’s squad immediately.
City are not alone in the race. Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all been credited with interest, though City’s director of football Hugo Viana and chief executive Ferran Soriano have both held direct talks with Letang, underlining how seriously the club are pursuing the deal.
