Ayyoub Bouaddi had already packed plenty into his career before joining Man City at the age of 18.
He had played almost 100 senior games for Lille, appeared in the Champions League and represented Morocco at a World Cup. Away from football, Bouaddi had passed his school exams a year early, begun studying mathematics and won a national public-speaking competition at the Elysee Palace.
City paid Lille £81.4m plus potential add-ons for the midfielder in August, but Hugo Viana has now revealed that their interest went back much further.
Hugo Viana reveals long-standing City interest in Bouaddi
Speaking to City Studios, the club’s director of football described Bouaddi as a player they had followed extensively before eventually bringing him to the Etihad.
Viana said the teenager had “always been a key target” for City and believes there is considerably more to come from him.
Bouaddi was born in Senlis, north of Paris, on 2 October 2007 and grew up in nearby Creil. He began playing for AFC Creil at Under-6 level, with his father Hassan encouraging him to try different sports as a youngster.
Lille spotted him at Creil and brought him into their academy in 2021. Bouaddi signed his first professional contract in August 2023 while still only 15 and made his senior debut in the Europa Conference League shortly after his 16th birthday.
His education continued alongside football. Bouaddi completed his French baccalaureate with high honours at 16, a year ahead of schedule, and went on to study mathematics remotely while establishing himself in Lille’s first team. Accounts from France have described him studying maths, physics and science while travelling with the squad, while chess is another of his interests.
In 2023 he also entered a public-speaking competition for players at French professional academies. Bouaddi reached the final at the Elysee Palace in Paris and won it.
He has previously spoken about the connection he sees between mathematics and football, particularly the need to assess a problem and find a solution quickly.
Champions League football at 17
Lille were prepared to give Bouaddi senior responsibility remarkably early. He made 18 appearances during his first season and became increasingly prominent over the following two campaigns. By 17, he was playing Champions League football against the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.
Bouaddi represented France at several youth levels and progressed as far as the Under-21 side before switching his international allegiance to Morocco, the country of his parents.
That decision quickly took him to the biggest stage. Bouaddi started five matches for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup as they reached the quarter-finals, including their meeting with Brazil. By the time the tournament began, City were already well aware of him.
City make their move for Bouaddi
City’s midfield changed considerably during the summer, with Rodri leaving for Barcelona and Tijjani Reijnders also moving on. Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson arrived as part of the rebuild, while Bouaddi became its youngest and most expensive addition. City agreed an initial £81.4m deal with Lille, with a further £4.2m potentially payable in add-ons.
It was an enormous fee for an 18-year-old, but Viana’s comments make clear that City had done plenty of work on Bouaddi before committing to the deal. His performances at the World Cup added to his reputation, but their interest pre-dated the tournament.
Enzo Maresca has since begun integrating him into a substantially reshaped midfield, with Bouaddi competing for minutes alongside players including Fernandez and Anderson.
There is still a considerable amount of development ahead for a player who only turned 18 last October, something Bouaddi himself acknowledged after signing his five-year City contract.
For all the attention surrounding the transfer fee, his education and a senior career that began at 16, he arrived in Manchester describing himself rather simply as a young player with “plenty of improving to do”.
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