​Manchester City are weighing a major positional change for Ayyoub Bouaddi, the Morocco international whom they admire as a potential signing this summer. The 18-year-old has emerged as one of European football’s standout young midfielders through his displays for Lille and at the World Cup, drawing interest from several top clubs. City have long been linked with Bouaddi, with director of football Hugo Viana viewing him as a long-term recruit who fits the profile City have prioritized in recent windows.
Lille have reportedly set a asking price for Bouaddi as City pursue a long-term target, with initial reports suggesting City would sign him now and loan him back to Lille for the 2026-27 season. However, the latest information indicates City’s thinking could be more flexible. Sam Lee of The Athletic notes that City officials are considering how best to proceed with Bouaddi’s potential arrival this summer. They are weighing the option of loaning him back to Lille for 2026-27, against keeping him at the Etihad and finding a way to give him minutes.
Bouaddi is described as a highly talented yet raw midfielder, and there is consideration within City of deploying him as a right-back under Enzo Maresca. This potential conversion would align with City’s willingness to adapt players to different roles, reflecting their preference for versatile, technically proficient profiles over rigid positional definitions.
If City secure Bouaddi, converting him to a right-back would mark a notable shift for a player with central-midfield roots, a move that could address a broader squad need in a position where City have found recruitment challenging this summer. For Maresca, the appeal lies in a young, technically capable talent who could contribute in midfield while also providing cover and competition at right-back, a position that has proven difficult to fill through conventional transfers so far.