Man City track Bouaddi but £85m price tag and Anderson spend complicate midfield push

Manchester City are keeping close tabs on Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer, but face a significant financial and logistical puzzle if they want to turn that interest into a signing.

Bouaddi, a teenager, caught the eye during Morocco’s World Cup campaign and has since attracted attention from several clubs. Lille are understandably reluctant to part with him so soon after that breakout tournament, and are understood to be demanding around £85m for the midfielder.

That figure sits awkwardly alongside City’s recent business. The club have already committed £116m to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer, meaning another major outlay would require either a negotiated reduction on Lille’s valuation or a willingness to absorb a second substantial fee in the same window.

The urgency behind City’s midfield search is driven by genuine uncertainty over their current options. Rodri’s contract expires next summer and there is no guarantee he will extend, while doubts also surround Nico Gonzalez, Mateo Kovacic, and Tijjani Reijnders. That combination of expiring deals and question marks has pushed the club to look ahead.

A further complication involves timing. Lille would prefer Bouaddi to remain at the club for at least another year before any departure, while City are said to want him integrated into Enzo Maresca’s squad immediately — a gap in expectations that would need to be bridged in any negotiation.

Midfield is not the only area City are addressing. The club are also in the market for a right-back and a wide forward, leaving them facing a hectic final six weeks of the transfer window as they attempt to reshape the squad across multiple positions.