Report: "City" is close to signing Bouadi.

Manchester City is close to reaching an agreement with French club Lille regarding the signing of Moroccan international Ayoub Bouaddi, after significant progress was made in negotiations between the two parties in recent weeks.

The website "Foot Mercato" reported that City has made the Moroccan international a priority to strengthen their squad, given the admiration of Manchester City officials for his technical abilities, capacity to handle pressure, as well as his tactical intelligence and defensive effort.

The same source clarified that Bouaddi has become one of the most prominent names in the transfer market over the past few months, following his impressive performance with the Moroccan national team in the World Cup, which has attracted the interest of several major European clubs.

Olivier Letang, the president of Lille, had previously confirmed that the player's value exceeds 100 million euros, considering his qualifications and great potential.

"Foot Mercato" added that Manchester City has made significant progress in the race to sign Bouaddi, who has the support of the team's coach, while the player has expressed his willingness to move to the English club.

According to the same source, negotiations between City and Lille have reached advanced stages, with only "a few details" related to the player's transfer format remaining to be resolved.

The main sticking point regarding Bouaddi for the upcoming season is Lille's desire to retain him for an additional season on loan, allowing him to continue his development within the French team before moving to the Premier League.

Conversely, Manchester City prefers to bring the Moroccan midfielder into their squad during the current summer transfer window, so he can be available to the team as soon as possible.

"Foot Mercato" indicated that negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs to reach a mutually agreeable solution on this point, with hopes of finalizing the deal and announcing it in the coming days.