Manchester City sign teenage midfielder Bouaddi for €95m as Marmoush heads to Spurs and González joins Newcastle
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for €95m (£81.4m), with a further €5m in add-ons, on a five-year contract. The Morocco international goes straight into Enzo Maresca's squad for Friday's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace. The Guardian
Bouaddi made his Lille debut on 5 October 2023 against KÍ Klaksvík, three days after turning 16 — the youngest player in the club's history. He went on to make 96 appearances for the French side. Reuters had flagged the deal as imminent on 23 August, with British media reporting the fee could reach €100m. Reuters
The Bouaddi arrival is part of a midfield rebuild unlike anything City have attempted in recent memory. They have already added Elliott Anderson, a £116m signing from Nottingham Forest, and director of football Hugo Viana was expected to formalise a bid for Chelsea's Enzo Fernández, whom Chelsea value at £120m. Those incomings come as the existing engine room has been gutted: Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders all moved on this summer, and Nico González became the fourth frontline central midfielder to depart when he joined Newcastle for £52m.
González's exit closes a short City chapter. He signed in January 2025 as the club's fourth winter acquisition, arriving from Porto after an earlier career path through Barcelona and a loan at Valencia. He even scored a winning goal in a final during the 2025/26 season. But the squad churn under Maresca has been relentless.
Omar Marmoush is also on his way out, loaned to Tottenham for the season with an obligation to buy for an initial £50m. Spurs can pay up to £10m in add-ons, half guaranteed, and Marmoush was due to sign a four-year deal with a one-year option next summer when the loan converts. City signed the Egyptian forward from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025 and will not owe Frankfurt a sell-on clause.
Tottenham's manager, Roberto De Zerbi, sees Marmoush as an upgrade on Dominic Solanke and Richarlison at centre-forward. It is the latest move in a remarkable Spurs spending spree: they committed £304.5m this summer on Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Sávio, the latter bought from City for £75m plus £10m on 25 August. Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi arrived on free transfers.
City were also closing in on Palmeiras winger Allan Elias for £34m as a replacement for Sávio out wide.
For fans, the picture is sharp: City are tearing out a midfield that defined an era and betting big on teenagers and players yet to kick a ball in the Premier League. The old guard is gone. The new one starts Friday night at Selhurst Park.
