Bouaddi's calm Porto debut hints at big role as Manchester derby looms

Ayyoub Bouaddi marked his first Manchester City start with a composed, assured performance in the Champions League victory over Porto, and the £85m signing from Lille now faces his first Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder was brought into the side in place of £116m recruit Elliot Anderson and quickly became a steadying force as more experienced teammates struggled to find their footing. City manager Enzo Maresca was visibly enthusiastic when asked about the teenager after the final whistle, adding his name to a growing list of coaches and teammates who have spoken of Bouaddi as a genuinely special talent.

City paid a fee higher than any rival club was willing to match because they were convinced Bouaddi could step straight into a midfield that lost both Rodri and Bernardo Silva over the summer. The Porto game was his first real test of that belief, and he passed it with little apparent effort.

“It’s part of my personality,” Bouaddi told reporters in Porto. “That is who I am and I try to be myself.”

He was similarly measured about the drawn-out uncertainty over his move to the Etihad during the summer window. “I wouldn’t say that I didn’t care — of course I cared because it’s about my future and my life — but I stayed really calm. I’m someone who just watches what will happen and enjoys life.”

On the Porto win itself, Bouaddi was characteristically generous. “I really enjoyed this game with my new teammates. They help me to play in good conditions and when you have players of such quality next to you it is easy to play — and this is going to be even better in the future.”

Bouaddi grew up in France and feels physically ready for the demands of English football, but has already noticed the heightened atmosphere at grounds here. That intensity will reach its peak on Sunday when City travel to Old Trafford, where United will be looking to close the gap on their neighbours.

The midfielder was barely starting primary school when Sergio Agüero’s stoppage-time goal won City their first Premier League title in 2012. He has grown up as a City fan, citing Kevin De Bruyne and the late Yaya Touré among his influences, and wore a Riyad Mahrez shirt as a child. For now, he has been able to walk the streets of Manchester largely unrecognised. That anonymity is unlikely to last much longer.