Moroccan Ayoub El Kaabi joins Manchester City from French club Lille - Sarmad

English club Manchester City has reached an agreement with French side Lille to sign the rising Moroccan midfielder Ayoub El Kaabi in a deal valued at approximately $117 million, according to media reports on Sunday.

City had been seeking to sign the 18-year-old following the departures of their former midfield stars, Spain’s Rodri to Barcelona and the Netherlands’ Tanguy Nianzou to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qadsiah.

El Kaabi was one of the most promising players at the 2026 World Cup, helping the Atlas Lions reach the quarter-finals before being eliminated by France with a 2-0 defeat.

While numerous media outlets reported that an agreement had been reached, Sylvain Armand, Lille’s sporting coordinator, told beIN Sports on Sunday, “There are still details to be settled, and the deal is not far off.”

Armand added, “Things have gone well over the past few hours regarding his departure.”

He continued, “We are protecting him, for the club and for himself. We took no risks, and we prepared for this week without him.”

The Citizens had been negotiating with Lille for several weeks and finally reached an agreement on El Kaabi, who will travel to England for medical examinations before completing his move to the Etihad Stadium.

El Kaabi will join Elliot Anderson in City’s midfield, which has undergone significant changes.

New City manager Enzo Maresca has made the midfield a central focus of new signings, following his appointment last season to succeed Spanish manager Pep Guardiola.