Transfer Rumour Unconfirmed · Gaining tractionMirror FootballUnverified source· 15 Aug 2026
Lille boss Ancelotti insists Bouaddi staying amid City, Arsenal links
Lille's coach has a clear message for Man City and Arsenal chasing their teenage star.


A. Bouaddi
player
Player
Ayyoub Bouaddi
Position
Midfielder
Current club
Lille
Linked clubs
Manchester City, Arsenal
Reported fee
€100m (£85.6m)
What happened. Lille coach Davide Ancelotti confirmed interest in Ayyoub Bouaddi from several clubs but vowed to keep the 18-year-old midfielder at the Ligue 1 side.
- Bouaddi impressed for Morocco at the World Cup, sparking transfer speculation.
- He played 45 minutes as a substitute in a friendly against Everton on Saturday.
- Ancelotti, son of Carlo, says Bouaddi is 'a very good player' and available fitness-wise.
“Bouaddi is a very good player. He is available [in terms of his fitness], and he played 45 minutes.”
— Davide Ancelotti
Lille's stance may force City and Arsenal to trigger the €100m valuation if they want the midfielder.
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