Manchester City are close to finalizing the Bouadi deal, with negotiations with Lille in their final stages.

Manchester City are close to signing Moroccan international Ayoub Bouadi, the Lille midfielder, after negotiations between the two clubs entered their final stages, with increasing signs that a final agreement is imminent.

The French platform Foot Mercato reported on Friday that Manchester City have made Bouadi one of their top targets during the current summer transfer window, convinced of the 18-year-old’s technical abilities. They have been working in recent weeks to accelerate negotiations with Lille to finalize the deal.

According to the same source, talks between the two parties have reached their final stages, with considerable optimism within the English club that the transfer will be completed soon, following significant progress in negotiations.

Lille were aware, according to the same source, of the difficulty in retaining Bouadi given the growing interest from several top European clubs, before Manchester City managed to outmaneuver their rivals and place the player at the top of their priority list to strengthen their midfield.

The report indicated that, barring any unforeseen developments, the deal will be finalized in the coming days, while the parties involved continue to discuss the final details, as Lille prepares to invest the value of the deal, which could reach around 100 million euros, in strengthening its ranks during the summer transfer window.