Manchester City have officially confirmed the signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, with Hugo Viana praising the 18-year-old.
Bouaddi looks like a hugely promising young talent after impressing in Ligue 1, while he also had an impressive World Cup with Morocco.
With Man City selling Rodri to Barcelona this summer, it’s vital that they make changes to strengthen their midfield, with Elliot Anderson already joining from Nottingham Forest earlier in the window.
Now Bouaddi has been made official as well, as per City’s website, and it sounds like they’re delighted to snap up such a huge prospect.
Manchester City chief praises Ayyoub Bouaddi
City Director of Football Hugo Viana made it clear just how highly he rates Bouaddi, saying: “Ayyoub’s potential is extremely high – a player equipped with everything a top midfielder needs.
“At just 18, he already has outstanding football intelligence and that will only improve under the guidance of Enzo.
“We have watched him very, very closely and throughout that process we have become increasingly convinced he is a huge talent who will thrive at City.
“We are really happy he has joined us and our job now is to ensure we provide him with everything he needs to fulfil his potential.”
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Bouaddi will now have to show what he can do at the very highest level, as there’ll be big pressure on him at City in a way that there won’t have been at Lille.
The teenager has clearly got a lot of talent, but it’s at a big club like this that his mentality will be tested, as he’ll have to deal with the new expectations that come with being part of a team whose fans expect major trophies.
That’s where keeping an old head like Rodri would surely have been good for City, but Anderson and Bouaddi should still combine as a really strong new-look midfield that can shine in the present and future.
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