Great progress…finishing touches separating my pledge from Manchester City.

Manchester City are closing in on a final deal with French side Lille to sign Moroccan youngster Ayoub Bouadi after talks between the two sides have made significant progress in recent weeks, with just one final point remaining before the deal is officially announced.

Bouadi has become one of the most sought-after names in the transfer market after catching the eye with his standout performances at Lille, before his value soared significantly following his stellar performance with Morocco at the 2026 World Cup, prompting a number of Europe’s biggest clubs to enter the race to sign him.

Lille club president Olivier Letang has repeatedly confirmed that his team’s midfielder is worth more than €100 million, given the growing interest in his services from Europe’s top tier clubs.

According to reports, Manchester City have managed to get ahead of the rest of the competition after prioritizing Bouadi to strengthen the midfield, as the English club’s management believe that the footballer has the technical and physical capabilities that make him the ideal successor to Spaniard Rodri, who has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid in the near future.

Reports suggested that City officials were impressed by the player’s ability to withstand pressure, tactical intelligence and defensive roles, in addition to the great potential he possesses despite his young age, while manager Enzo Maresca gave the green light to complete the deal, demanding it be completed as soon as possible.

In turn, Ayub Bouadi expressed his agreement to move to “Manchester City”, which facilitated the negotiations between the two clubs.

The network has confirmedMiss MercatoThe French newspaper, which specializes in the transfer market, says the two sides are very close to reaching a final agreement on the value of the deal after most of the details have been agreed, while the current dispute revolves around the player’s future next season.

Lille FC want to keep Waadi on loan for another season with the aim of continuing his development and gaining more experience before a move to the English Premier League, while Manchester City prefer to sign the player outright this summer and include him in their squad in preparation for the new season.

Despite continuing negotiations on this point, there is optimism at both clubs that a consensus resolution can be reached in the next few days, in preparation for the official announcement of one of the most high-profile deals of the summer Mercato.