Man City set €90m trap for Lille teen Bouaddi after Anderson blockbuster

Manchester City are refusing to pump the brakes this summer. Just days after finalizing a club-record £116 million (€135m) deal for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, the Premier League champions have turned their attention to Lille’s 18-year-old midfield sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi. Transfer insider Nicolo Schira reports that City are preparing a €90m offer for the Morocco international and have already reached an agreement with the player on personal terms — a contract running until 2031. The bid would make Bouaddi one of the most expensive teenagers in football history. City have shifted their transfer strategy toward youth this window, having already secured teenagers Mathys Detourbet from Troyes and Jeremy Monga from Leicester. But Bouaddi is seen as first-team ready after starring for Morocco at the World Cup. Lille president Olivier Letang has publicly dismissed talk of a €100m release clause but admitted the club is braced for any outcome. “Very few clubs today can afford a player of Ayyoub’s quality, who is only 18,” Letang told L’Equipe. “We’re very calm. We’ll reassess based on what happens in the coming weeks.” A successful move would push City’s summer spending past €270m, approaching last season’s €301m splurge. Only Chelsea and Tottenham have outlaid more cash this window, signaling that the club feels confident about the pending verdict on their alleged financial breaches.