Published on 6/30/2026
Manchester City has entered the race to sign young Moroccan midfielder Ayoub Bouadi, competing with both Liverpool and Arsenal to include one of the most prominent emerging talents in the 2026 World Cup.
Bouadi (18 years old) performed at remarkable levels with the Moroccan national team in the World Cup, where he contributed to the “Atlas Lions” reaching the round of 16, after participating in the wins over Brazil and Scotland, before the coach rested him in the last match against Haiti, so he returned and participated in the brilliant victory over the Netherlands in the round of 32 after penalty kicks.
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A few weeks before the start of the tournament, the player decided to represent the Moroccan national team instead of France, in a move that received widespread attention, before he established himself as one of the tournament’s most prominent discoveries.
According to the Italian journalist specializing in the transfer market, Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City is planning to make an offer that includes a clause that may facilitate the completion of the deal, which is to buy the player’s contract from his French club, Lille, and then loan him to the French team throughout the 2026-2027 season.
City believes that this solution will give Bouadi an opportunity to continue developing and gaining more experience before moving to the English Premier League.
Bouadi has a contract with Lille that extends until the summer of 2029, which gives the French club a strong negotiating position, as it is not facing any pressure to sell its player at the present time.
Manchester City has previously adopted this policy with a number of young talents, including Brazilian Vitor Reis and Norwegian Sverre Halseth Neubane, who are contracted and then loaned to gain more experience before being integrated into the first team.
Despite mounting speculation about his future, Bouadi stressed that his full focus is on the World Cup, refusing to delve into his professional future at the present time.
He said in statements to The Athletic newspaper: “At the moment I am only focused on the World Cup, and I cannot talk about my future. I am happy that the clubs are interested in me, but all my focus is on providing my best with the Moroccan national team.”
The Moroccan national team will face its Canadian counterpart in the round of 16, after Canada qualified after defeating South Africa with a goal without a response in the round of 32, in the best World Cup participation in its history.
