Manchester City plot summer 2027 move for World Cup starlet

Manchester City plot summer 2027 move for World Cup starlet Plans are already being drawn up at Manchester City to capture Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi. The 18-year-old Lille sensation has seen his profile skyrocket during a standout World Cup so far with the Moroccan national team. While City officials formulate a potential 2027 proposal, European rivals look to disrupt those plans. Officials at Manchester City are believed to have the idea of recruiting Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi in the summer of 2027, according to a new update on the situation. With Enzo Maresca officially set to take charge in the coming weeks and the club finalising a club record-breaking £116 million deal for Elliot Anderson , Sporting Director Hugo Viana is heavily focusing on long-term succession planning. Manchester City’s recruitment model has historically thrived on identifying talent and players of interest before they reach their peak valuation, ensuring the squad’s technical superiority remains insulated from market inflation. The latest focal point of this long-term scouting project at the Etihad Stadium is Lille’s midfield prodigy , who has captured the attention of the world’s scouting elite through his performances at the World Cup.. Born in 2007, the 18-year-old enjoyed a stellar rise in Ligue 1 last season, racking up 30 senior appearances for Lille in the French first division and demonstrating tactical maturity, as well as experiencing European competition through the Europa League . His integration into Mohamed Ouahbi’s Morocco national team at the ongoing World Cup has only accelerated interest, as his press-resistant passing metrics help push the Atlas Lions into the tournament’s knockout bracket. Man City hold longer-term Bouaddi transfer plan Now, providing a new update on the future of Lille and Morocco’s highly-rated teenager, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the initial idea concerning Manchester City is to sign the player in the summer of 2027. “Lille have been smart in signing a new contract with [Ayyoub] Bouaddi before the World Cup, so Lille can control the deal,” said Romano. Hugo Viana and Manchester City keeping ‘close eye’ on Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi He continued, “ Manchester City have genuine interest in Bouaddi. He’s one of the players being considered by Manchester City, eventually for summer 2027. “So the idea of Manchester City, the starting idea – then lets see how conversations develop – could be to try go for the player in summer 2027. So Manchester City have an interest in Bouaddi.” On the wider battle for the Moroccan teenager, Romano explained, “I’m told that also Paris Saint-Germain have been in touch with people close to the player. PSG have different priorities, attack and defence. “But Paris Saint-Germain have also been in touch with people close to the player to understand the situation. “So lets see what’s going to happen with Bouaddi. I told you that Arsenal and Liverpool had meetings before the World Cup for this boy, so both clubs were already tracking him. “Manchester City are in a conversation for eventually 2027, so we have to keep a close eye on this boy because there’s going to be a lot of movement and lets see who’s going to win the race for Bouaddi. For sure, a very very interesting one to follow.” Why a delayed Bouaddi transfer benefits Man City For Manchester City, executing a delayed 2027 strategy would replicate their successful historical capture of targets who were left to develop in familiar surroundings before making the leap to the Premier League . However, with domestic rivals already holding formal meetings with the player’s representatives, Viana will need to maintain regular contact to ensure City’s preferred timeline is not undone by an early bid. As the summer transfer window heats up, Manchester City’s immediate board priorities remain focused on trimming the current squad and making targeted senior additions for Enzo Maresca’s debut campaign. The club is balancing several moving components, including reports of holding a £45 million valuation cap for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto and keeping a close eye on Newcastle’s £100 million-rated Sandro Tonali . Manchester City set price cap on transfer pursuit for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto