Manchester City have signed the Lille and Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for £85.6m, a mix of guaranteed money and add-ons, the most expensive transfer for a teenager in Premier League history. The 18-year-old has signed a five-year contract, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2031.
The fee surpasses the previous record for a teenage transfer, set when Manchester United signed Leny Yoro from Lille in 2024. It is Enzo Maresca's second major midfield addition of the summer, after the £116m signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, and comes as City rebuild following the departures of Rodri, who joined Barcelona for £65m, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders, who left for Al-Qadsiah in a £52m deal.
Bouaddi plays as a No 6 and turned 18 last October, with more than 60 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille already behind him. He was one of the stories of this summer's World Cup, helping Morocco reach the quarter-finals before their exit to France, and drew wide notice for a display against Brazil in which he dominated Casemiro, who was substituted at half-time. Morocco's captain, Achraf Hakimi, called it a "masterclass".
"Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world," Bouaddi said. "It's a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player. I've watched City for many years, and I love their style of play. This club feels like it's built to win."