"City" attempts to sign Bouadhi

Bouadla captured attention during his participation with the Atlas Lions at the 2026 World Cup, before being eliminated in the quarter-finals by France.

According to The Athletic, Manchester City is “doing everything possible” to secure the services of the 18-year-old, who is sought after by several top clubs.

Lille values their young player, whose contract runs until 2029, at around €100 million, a “huge sum for many clubs interested in signing him.”

The report confirmed that City is considering signing the player and integrating him directly into the first team, with no intention of loaning him to Lille next season to continue his development.

Signing a central midfielder is a priority for the Sky Blues during the ongoing summer transfer window, to compensate for the departure of Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva to Spanish club Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Dutch player Teun Koopmeiners and Spanish player Nico González have not delivered the expected impact in midfield, and Spanish international Rodri’s contract expires at the end of next season.