Manchester City are said to be pushing hard for breakout World Cup star Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Not content with splashing £115 million on Elliot Anderson a couple of weeks ago, Manchester City are ready to spend big again.
Bouaddi has seen his profile grow massively over the past few weeks as Morocco made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
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Bouaddi was one of the standout players for his country in North America, and as a result, interest has grown considerably in the teenager.
But City are trying to steal a march in the race and amid their pursuit, here’s all you need to know about Bouaddi.
Who is Man City target and breakout World Cup star Ayyoub Bouaddi?
Ayyoub Bouaddi was born in Senlis, France, on 2 October 2007, making him just 18 years old.
As a child, he played football in Creil, a commune situated in northern France, before he joined the Lille academy in 2021.
After only a couple of years there, Bouaddi would make his first-team debut for the club.
He was just 16 years and three days old when he played against Faroese club KÍ, and this made him the youngest player ever to play in a European club competition game.
Bouaddi is also Lille’s youngest-ever player, and last October he became the youngest to ever play in Ligue 1.
In terms of his international journey, Bouaddi represented France at several youth levels up to the U21s, before he declared his allegiance to Morocco in 2026, having been born to Moroccan parents. To date, he has eight caps, with five of those coming at the 2026 World Cup.
Away from the pitch, Bouaddi is said to be extremely smart. As per The Athletic, Bouaddi averaged 18.5 out of 20 across all subjects at school, which is ‘practically unheard of in the French education system’.
He also won an eloquence competition for young French footballers at the Elysee Palace in Paris, aged just 15. He is said to have delivered a speech entitled ‘Is the result more important than the method?’ in front of France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron.
He is currently studying a mathematics degree with the University of Marseille, having already obtained a scientific baccalauréat.
Bouaddi could be Rodri’s long-term successor at Manchester City
Some have wondered what this interest in Bouaddi could mean for Rodri.
The Spanish midfielder’s contract is up next summer, and there still hasn’t been any movement on an extension.
City are hopeful there’ll be one, but Real Madrid are waiting in the wings.
Perhaps Bouaddi could be his long-term successor.
He largely plays as a central midfielder, so a little more advanced than Rodri, but has had several games for Lille where he’s held.
A feature from Total Football Analysis late last year described Bouaddi as ‘more of a midfield enforcer than a final-third threat’.
There is particular emphasis on how he can carry the ball. They say: “One of the defining features of Bouaddi’s game is his elegant gliding with the ball at his feet despite his large frame.
“He uses subtle shifts and body angles to protect possession and draw pressure without panic.
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“His two-footedness adds a layer of unpredictability; whether receiving on the half-turn or releasing a pass, he’s rarely locked into one direction.”
Bouaddi is also said to be ‘a terrific anticipator of danger off the ball’, and while his progressive passing could do with a bit of work, he is ‘capable of jaw-dropping passes that can split defences in half’.
He does therefore have the potential to become a little like Rodri – who also has a degree like Bouaddi – only a more mobile version.
There is actually also an argument to say Bouaddi could be more a replacement for Mateo Kovacic, given the Croatian is more of a ball carrier.
