Manchester City have agreed a deal in principle worth 100m euros (£85.6m) to sign 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. With the team currently 7 points behind leaders Arsenal and having lost their last two matches, including a 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa on May 24, this signing is a significant boost to their midfield.
Who is Bouaddi?
Bouaddi impressed at this summer's World Cup, starting five of Morocco's six matches in their run to the quarter-finals. He functions as a deep-lying conductor and would complement Elliot Anderson, who is comfortable as a box-to-box midfielder.
Why it matters for Manchester City
The signing of Bouaddi is a key move for Manchester City, who have prioritised central midfield as an area to strengthen after selling midfielders Rodri to Barcelona in a £65m deal and Tijjani Reinders to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah for £52m.
What comes next?
Manchester City host Bournemouth in their Premier League opener on Sunday, and with their current league standing at 2nd in the Premier League, 78 pts, 23W-9D-6L from 38 games, they will be looking to start the new season strongly. The team has scored 77 goals this season and conceded 35, with a goal difference of +42. Their next fixture is against Coventry on September 5, and they will be hoping to improve their recent form, which has seen them lose their last two matches, including a 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa on May 24.
