Manchester City are set to secure one of the most exciting young midfielders in world football, agreeing a deal worth 100m euros (£86m) in principle to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.

The 18-year-old announced himself on the grandest stage at the FIFA World Cup, where Morocco became the first African nation to reach successive quarter-finals. Yet those closest to Bouaddi insist his performances came as no surprise whatsoever.

"He does this kind of match every weekend on the pitches of Ligue 1," said Armand Doue, who coached Bouaddi during his early years at Creil in northern France.

A star long before the world noticed

Bouaddi's rapid ascent through professional football has been marked by record after record. He became the youngest player ever to appear for Lille when he made his senior debut against KI shortly after turning 16 in 2023. On his 17th birthday, the Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd serenaded him following Lille's victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. He then surpassed a milestone once held by Eden Hazard, making 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille at just 18 years of age.

Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul highlighted the composure Bouaddi showed at the World Cup against opponents including Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, and Bruno Guimaraes. "He showed not just quality but personality — a kind of positive arrogance," Kachloul told BBC Sport. "He had confidence, a great aura and a strong presence on the pitch. He thrives in that environment."

Morocco over France — a childhood dream fulfilled

Bouaddi's international allegiance was the subject of intense competition. Lille team-mate Olivier Giroud — a World Cup winner — spent much of the season attempting to convince the teenager to commit to France, having represented Les Bleus throughout the youth ranks. Bouaddi declined.

Instead, he posted a photograph on Instagram of himself, aged 10, wearing a Morocco shirt while watching the 2018 World Cup from the stands. "I am aware of the privilege I have to defend these colours and I will give everything to best represent my country," he wrote.

The maths student who skipped the burgers

What sets Bouaddi apart extends well beyond the football pitch. He has been pursuing a mathematics degree in his spare time and once delivered a speech at the Elysée Palace, winning an oratory competition.

His former Creil coach Sofiane Khair recalls a boy unlike any other. "Ayyoub didn't have a PlayStation or a Nintendo DS. When he wasn't playing, he stayed at home reading books or doing his homework. He never had fast food — when we went to tournaments, he was the only kid who did not eat burgers or pizza. He's the same now as he was when he was 10."

That relentless drive to improve is something Giroud has noticed first-hand. Comparing Bouaddi's maturity to that of Kylian Mbappe at 18, the veteran striker described him as a "perfect team-mate" who is still hungry to develop. "He's a proper box-to-box player, but he needs to improve some things, like his finishing," Giroud said.

Moroccan football journalist Amine el Amri believes the ceiling is extraordinarily high. "He has the potential to be one of the best midfielders ever in the game," el Amri told BBC Sport, drawing comparisons with former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets. "What he does best is keep his cool when he has the ball and when he is pressing. He doesn't commit a lot of fouls — which is what made Busquets a complete midfielder."

At 18, Bouaddi's story is only just beginning. Manchester City, and the Premier League, await.