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Manchester City have made a major move forward in their chase for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, moving ahead of Premier League rivals Arsenal in the battle for his signature. The reigning champions are now in advanced talks to land the highly rated 18-year-old, with personal terms already agreed while the two clubs try to close the financial gap.

City move ahead of Arsenal in transfer battle

As per reports from Sky Sport, City have stepped up their attempts to sign Bouaddi. The English giants have now gone in front of Arsenal in the pursuit of the 18-year-old academy graduate. Arsenal had earlier been seen as the front-runners, but their choice to focus on a move for Bruno Guimaraes has opened the door for City to take charge.

Talks between sporting director Hugo Viana and Lille president Olivier Letang are said to be almost nonstop, with both men preferring regular phone conversations rather than formal meetings. The English club have already made several verbal bids, but Lille have firmly turned down every offer as they look to get the best possible deal for their prized homegrown player.

Financial gap still remains despite contract agreement

Lille have held firm on their asking price and are still waiting for a symbolic €100 million fee. City, meanwhile, are hoping to complete the transfer for a fixed amount of around €90m, plus extra performance-based bonuses. That difference in valuation remains the main issue between the two clubs.

Bouaddi remains tied to his current club, with his contract running until June 30, 2029. Even with that long-term deal in place, there are no personal matters left to settle. The midfielder has already fully agreed to join City, after accepting a lucrative contract that will run until June 2031. He is now completely ready to make the switch.

World Cup breakthrough and Lille numbers

Bouaddi really caught the eye with his excellent midfield displays for Morocco during the recent World Cup. The gifted teenager was one of the revelations on the global stage, although his run ended in the quarter-finals after a hard-fought 2-0 defeat against France.

At domestic level, the young talent has been a regular feature since coming through the youth system. In his professional career with Lille, he has played 96 matches in all competitions. While he has registered four assists in that period, he is yet to score his first senior goal for the club. Even so, his huge potential and his ability to control the pace of a game have made City view him as a key target this summer.

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What happens next?

The coming week is set to be hugely decisive as City look to perfectly line up Bouaddi's arrival with the expected departure of Rodri to Real Madrid. The Manchester club are strongly motivated to close the current valuation gap with Lille. Supporters can expect quick and major updates as they push to complete this complicated double move.