Manchester City’s €100m record chase for Lille’s Bouaddi

Inside Manchester City’s Etihad training ground, officials huddle over a dossier on 18‑year‑old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, as the club accelerates talks with Lille for a reported €100 million fee – a record for the French side – while Rodri’s imminent move to Barcelona looms.

Rodri's exit and Bouaddi chase

Rodri is set to join FC Barcelona, leaving the Skyblues without the metronome of their midfield. Enzo Maresca, the Italian who now manages Manchester City, must replace the departing Spaniard. Meanwhile, Bouaddi, under contract until 2029, has attracted interest after a successful 2026 World Cup campaign with Morocco.

The BBC says negotiations between the two clubs revolve around a price of about €100 million, a figure that would eclipse Lille’s previous record sale of €80 million for Nicolas Pépé in 2019. The talks, reported by LilleAujourd'hui, signal a potential landmark transfer for the French club.

“It would be a mistake not to realise such a transfer,” Lille president Olivier Létang told reporters in late July. He added, “We must be realistic; there are numbers for which it would be an error not to anticipate and to complete the deal.”

€100 million gamble: Manchester City eyes Moroccan prodigy as Rodri replacement

Lille’s hierarchy acknowledges that a €100 million outlay would become the most lucrative sale in the club’s history, surpassing the Pépé deal and providing a financial windfall.

City eyeing Enzo Fernandez

Beyond Bouaddi, Manchester City also aims to secure Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the window closes. The 25‑year‑old, a 2022 World Cup champion, is currently with Chelsea, whose contract runs to 2032.

The Telegraph reports Chelsea would demand €140 million for Fernandez, a price reflecting his status after being booed by some supporters on his return to Stamford Bridge following a 1‑0 extra‑time loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

With Rodri’s departure imminent, City’s aggressive spending on Bouaddi and Fernandez underscores a strategy to rebuild a midfield capable of sustaining their domestic and European ambitions.