Arsenal remain among the admirers of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, but the price tag has increased significantly and Manchester City are pushing to add him to their squad.
David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that contrary to reports earlier in the summer suggesting that Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi would be available for around €70m (£59.7m), the reported price tag on the player now is in the region of €100m (£85.2m).
That’s a very significant increase for an 18-year-old midfielder, and Ornstein admits that the new price will likely be prohibitive to many admirers.
Those admirers include Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United, all of whom have reportedly been in contact with Bouaddi’s camp over the past 12 months. PSG, however, are not currently in the race.
Some of the interested clubs are reportedly open to doing a deal now and loaning Bouaddi back to Lille for the season, but it is believed that City would rather integrate him immediately.
Whether or not that makes a deal more likely is difficult to say. Lille might be less willing to do business, as it was reportedly their desire to include this loan back in a transfer this summer.
But Bouaddi may view City’s push to add him to the squad immediately as a sign of how serious they are about him, which could help sway him towards them.
Gary Jacob previously reported for The Times that Arsenal had begun talks to sign Bouaddi this summer, speaking to the player’s representatives about a possible transfer.
The Gunners are reportedly yet to make a formal offer to Lille, but that’s expected to follow in due course. Jacob claimed Mikel Arteta wants a fourth midfielder to rotate with Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the middle of his team.
Despite his age, Bouaddi is already a nailed-on starter for Lille. He’s made 96 senior appearances for the club, including starting 28 of their 34 Ligue 1 fixtures in 2025/26. He also played five of Morocco’s six fixtures at the 2026 World Cup.
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