Manchester United wanted Elliot Anderson. They needed a young defensive midfielder to replace Casemiro. But City outbid them, paid Nottingham Forest a British-record £116 million, and walked away with the 23-year-old. Now, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the same thing is happening all over again — with an 18-year-old Moroccan who just lit up the World Cup.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is the name. He plays for Lille, stands 6’1″, and spent the summer in North America showing everyone why top clubs across Europe have been watching him for years. In Morocco’s opening match against Brazil, he went toe-to-toe with Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães in midfield and came out looking like the best player on the field. That’s not hyperbole either. He ran the game. He was composed on the ball, smart without it, and physically dominant enough to hold his own against veterans. Morocco should have won that match but settled for a draw after Vinícius Júnior pulled off a ridiculous equalizer.
Bouaddi captained France’s U21 side before switching his international allegiance to Morocco just before the World Cup. That decision looks smarter by the day. Playing as a natural No. 6 for the Atlas Lions, he showed a rare combination of size, technical skill, and football IQ that makes him look like a complete midfielder already. He can pass through lines, carry the ball forward with a quick turn, and read danger before it develops. At 18 years old. That kind of profile doesn’t stay on the market long.
Manchester United have been in contact with his camp over the past year. They’ve scouted him extensively. They had exploratory talks. But if you look at their summer so far — deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans are basically done — there’s still a hole at the base of midfield. Kobbie Mainoo is already there as a prodigious talent, but Bouaddi would offer something different: a pure defensive shield who lets others play forward. That’s exactly what they need.
City pushing hard while United watches
Ornstein reports that Manchester City are “pushing hard” to get a deal done for Bouaddi. Arsenal have also held talks, but City are the ones making the loudest noise. Lille has set an £85 million price tag on him, and club chairman Olivier Létang is pointing directly at the Anderson fee as justification. His logic isn’t hard to follow: if Anderson is worth £116 million, Bouaddi at £85 million is a bargain.
There’s also a loan-back option on the table. Lille would be open to selling Bouaddi and then having him stay at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for another season. That’s a non-starter for United, who would want him in the squad immediately. City, according to Ornstein, would rather integrate him right away too. So that route might not go anywhere.
The bigger issue for United is money. They’ve already committed roughly £85 million combined for Santos and Tielemans. That leaves some budget room, but probably not enough to match Lille’s asking price without selling someone. And with Aurélien Tchouaméni deciding to stay at Real Madrid this summer, the pool of elite young defensive midfielders is shrinking fast.
City can afford to make this kind of move because they’ve already got Rodri in place. Adding Anderson was a luxury. Adding Bouaddi would be the same — depth for now, a long-term starter later. For United, missing out on another midfield target to the blue half of Manchester would sting a lot more. The scouting work has been done. The conversations have happened. But if Bouaddi ends up at the Etihad instead of Old Trafford, there won’t be much left to say inside the corridors at Carrington. Just a lot of frustration.
Bouaddi is expected to make a decision on his future soon. The clock is ticking.
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