Manchester City monitoring Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi – sources

Manchester City is closely watching Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi as they consider a potential transfer this summer, according to sources. This move comes despite the club already spending £116 million ($153 million) to acquire Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Anderson is expected to undergo his medical in New York following England’s final FIFA World Cup 2026 group game against Panama on Saturday. Bouaddi has emerged as one of the tournament’s standout players, making him an intriguing option for City, along with Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali.

Tonali is also attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, and both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have expressed desire to sign Bouaddi. Lille reportedly prefers that Bouaddi joins a Premier League club instead of another French team.

Although Arsenal has shown interest in Bouaddi, they are currently focused on securing Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães. There’s no certainty that Bouaddi will join City this summer; he may remain at Lille for another season with City possibly revisiting the opportunity next summer.

The 18-year-old garnered significant praise for his notable display during Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil in their opening World Cup match. Morocco will face the Netherlands in the last-32 round on Monday.

As City explores midfield possibilities, the futures of Nico González and Tijjani Reijnders remain uncertain. Furthermore, Bernardo Silva has already left for Real Madrid as a free agent after a nine-year tenure at the Etihad.