City’s pursuit of Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi has been running for weeks now, with personal terms reportedly agreed, a public denial from Lille’s president, and a fee gap that’s shown no sign of closing.
Here’s every twist, kept in one place and updated as the story develops.
Current state: Personal terms are widely reported as agreed between Bouaddi and City, with multiple journalists independently confirming a contract until 2031.
The fee remains the sticking point — Lille want around €100m, City are offering closer to €90m plus bonuses. Lille’s president says he expects Bouaddi to stay.
How we got here
24 July — City make their first known approach to Lille, according to Diario Sport, as City begin planning for life without a long-term guarantee over Rodri’s future.
26-29 July — City reportedly move ahead of Arsenal in the race, with Sky Sport claiming City accelerated their pursuit after Arsenal shifted focus to Bruno Guimarães instead.
29-30 July — Personal terms are reportedly agreed between Bouaddi and City, with a contract running to 2031. Fabrizio Romano, Sacha Tavolieri and Matteo Moretto independently report the same detail.
The remaining gap is over fee: Lille want €100m, City are pushing for around €90m plus bonuses. Lille are also said to want Bouaddi to spend one more season on loan at the club, while City want him to join immediately.
31 July/1 August — Lille president Olivier Létang addresses the speculation directly in a press conference, saying he holds a “strong conviction” Bouaddi will stay for the 2026-27 season.
He points to the player’s contentment at the club and the opportunity to play Champions League football. Létang confirms City have made contact but says nothing has “remotely” met Lille’s valuation.
2 August — City are reported to still believe a bid above £85m could be enough to change Lille’s position, despite Létang’s public stance.
3 August — Sky Sport Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports a “full verbal agreement” between Bouaddi and City, with club-to-club negotiations continuing.
This largely re-confirms the personal-terms reporting from a few days earlier rather than representing fresh movement, but comes from an independent source.
Where things stand
There’s a clear tension in the reporting here: personal terms are said to be settled, multiple credible journalists agree on that point, and yet Lille’s own president is on record saying he expects the player to stay.
Both things can be true — a player agreeing terms with a suitor doesn’t mean his current club is ready to sell, and Létang has been consistent in saying Lille’s valuation hasn’t been met.
Worth watching whether City’s willingness to go above £85m proves to be the number that closes that gap.
This page will be updated as the story develops.
