Most expensive teenagers in soccer history: Where Ayyoub Bouaddi transfer fee ranks among all-time biggest deals

Manchester City's midfield refit is continuing at pace with the transfer deadline a week away.

New City boss Enzo Maresca has seen club greats Rodri and Bernardo Silva join Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, while Nico Gonzalez is reportedly primed to follow Tijjani Reijnders out of the exit door.

Elliot Anderson signed from Nottingham Forest for a club-record fee in July, but centre-back Marc Guehi, playing Sunday's Premier League opener against Bournemouth in central midfield, highlighted the need for further reinforcements.

Maresca is widely reported to desire a reunion with Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez, and that saga could run up until the deadline.

In the meantime, City have secured the signature of Ayyoub Bouaddi after a long pursuit of the highly rated Lille teenager.

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Bouaddi, 18, impressed for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup as the Atlas Lions reached the quarterfinals, most notably in his nation's opening 1-1 draw against Brazil. 

Despite his tender years, Bouaddi has amassed plenty of experience at Lille, playing 88 times since his debut in October 2023. That appearance against Faroese side Kl in the Conference League made him Lille's youngest player of all time at 16 years and three days. 

Bouaddi starred in a Champions League win over Real Madrid at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on his 17th birthday. He became the youngest Lille player to reach 50 Ligue 1 appearances last season, breaking a record set by Eden Hazard.

That sort of pedigree does not come cheap.

How much are Man City paying for Ayyoub Bouaddi?

After a long summer of negotiations over the finer details of the transfer, Manchester City have agreed to sign Bouaddi for a deal worth £86 million ($115.8m/€100m).

The deal breaks down as £81.4m upfront ($110m/€95m) and a further £4.3m ($5.8m/€5m) in performance related add-ons.

Most expensive teenagers in soccer history

The deal makes Bouaddi the fourth-most expensive teenager in soccer history and also the fourth to hit the €100m mark.

Kylian Mbappe remains out in front after his €180m move to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in 2018, following an initial season-long loan.

Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger who joined Real Madrid from RB Leipzig for €125m this summer, adds to a strong Real Madrid presence on the list below.

Jude Bellingham just misses out on the list, despite being announced as a €103.5m signing on June 14, 2023, from Borussia Dortmund when he was 19. By the time the England star officially became a Madrid player on July 1, he had turned 20.

Top 10 most expensive teenagers in soccer history

Who is Man City's record signing?

Bouaddi comes in as City's third-biggest signing in history, with fellow summer 2026 arrival Elliot Anderson leading the way.

England international Anderson cost £116m, making him City's second nine-figure signing after Jack Grealish joined for £100m from Aston Villa in 2022.

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Antoine Semenyo's £65m arrival from Bournemouth means three of City's five biggest signings of all time have come in 2026, with the prospect of Fernandez or other big-money arrivals joining before the window shuts.

The sales of Rodri, Reijnders and Savinho have seen City bring in a substantial amount in transfer fees. If Gonzalez joins Newcastle, their overall summer 2026 sales are likely to top £300m.

Man City's most expensive signings