Manchester City have agreed a £86 million deal, worth €95 million plus €5 million in add-ons, to sign Lille midfielder Rachid Bouaddi, a record fee for a player under 18 and the most expensive teenage signing in Premier League history.
The structure breaks down to €95 million as a fixed fee plus €5 million in potential add-ons, translating to roughly £86 million. It marks Lille’s biggest sale in club history, eclipsing all prior outbound deals from the French side.
For Manchester City, the signing pushes their 2026 summer spending toward £200 million, following another midfield acquisition reportedly valued near the €100 million mark. Reports have also described the deal as a record for the most expensive player under 18 worldwide, and the most expensive teenage signing in Premier League history.
The valuation marks a dramatic shift for Moroccan players in the transfer market. Previous generations of Moroccan internationals, including Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, moved for fees well under €30 million. Lille’s €100 million valuation for Bouaddi was driven largely by his performances at the 2026 World Cup, where he emerged as one of the tournament’s standout midfielders, prompting sustained interest from Premier League and top-five league clubs. Bouaddi’s rise through Lille’s youth academy laid the foundation for the technical and tactical maturity that made him such a coveted target.
The fee also reshapes the broader picture of Arab transfer history. Previous record valuations were held by wingers and forwards, including Riyad Mahrez, but Bouaddi becomes the first central midfielder from the region to reach this fee bracket. His transfer strengthens Morocco’s position alongside Algeria and Egypt as one of the leading Arab talent exporters, both in player volume and peak transfer value.
Manchester City’s need for midfield reinforcements played a role in accepting the fee. The club has seen the departures of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders, creating a gap in midfield options that made a record-breaking signing more viable. Premier League clubs’ financial strength continues to support fees of this scale, reinforcing a pattern of high-value Arab signings entering Europe’s top leagues.
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