The two transfers are also part of the wider midfield rebuilds taking place at both clubs. Michael Carrick is looking for more athleticism and stability in United’s central areas, while Enzo Maresca must reshape City’s midfield following Rodri’s departure. Baleba and Bouaddi offer different solutions to those challenges.
Manchester United pay more than €80m for Baleba
Carlos Baleba has signed a contract with Manchester United until June 2031, with the club also holding an option for a further year. Around €76 million will go to Brighton & Hove Albion, with add-ons potentially taking the fee beyond €80 million. United had tracked Baleba closely for some time and the midfielder had long been on the club’s scouting list.
Carrick will, however, have to wait before using his new signing. Baleba suffered an ankle injury during pre-season and is not expected to be available again until September. He is already United’s third major addition in central midfield this summer after Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Casemiro, meanwhile, left the club to join Inter Miami.
Baleba’s route to Manchester began in Cameroon with Futur Soccer and the renowned Brasseries du Cameroun academy. He moved to Lille in early 2022 and quickly progressed into the senior squad. Brighton brought him to the Premier League in the summer of 2023 when he was 19. Over three years on the south coast, he made 112 competitive appearances and scored four goals.
Why Baleba fits Carrick’s United
Baleba’s biggest strengths come without the ball and in high-intensity situations. He defends aggressively on the front foot, recognises opportunities to win possession early and has the acceleration to cover large spaces. Last season, he ranked among the top eight per cent of Premier League players for combined tackles and interceptions, and in the top one per cent for second balls won.
He also has the ability to carry the ball through midfield. The left-footer can escape pressure and then drive forward powerfully through central areas. That profile makes him particularly interesting for Carrick’s 4-2-3-1.
Alongside Tielemans, Baleba could take on more of the defensive responsibility and give the Belgian greater freedom in possession. A similar division of roles would be possible with Kobbie Mainoo. Andrey Santos, meanwhile, could operate as the deeper midfielder and allow Baleba to use more of his dynamism in a box-to-box role. United are therefore not signing a pure ball-winner, but a midfielder whose function can vary depending on his partner.
City make Bouaddi the Premier League’s most expensive teenager
Manchester City have gone even further for Ayyoub Bouaddi. The 18-year-old arrives from LOSC Lille, the same club where Baleba previously made his breakthrough in senior football, and has also signed until 2031. The overall package is expected to be worth around €100 million, with approximately €95 million guaranteed and the rest in potential bonuses. That makes Bouaddi the most expensive teenager ever signed by a Premier League club.
Despite his age, Bouaddi already has considerable senior experience. Lille recruited him at 13, and three days after his 16th birthday he made his European debut. He quickly developed into a regular starter and leaves the club with 96 senior appearances. In Ligue 1 alone last season, he started 28 matches.
Born in France, the midfielder initially represented French youth national teams before choosing to play for his parents’ homeland, Morocco, in 2026. At the subsequent World Cup, Bouaddi started five of Morocco’s six matches as the Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals.
His life away from football is just as unusual. Bouaddi is studying mathematics alongside his professional career and had already stood out as a teenager for his academic achievements and for winning a French public-speaking competition.
Can Bouaddi fill the void left by Rodri?
Bouaddi is expected to become a major figure in Manchester City’s midfield over the long term, but his strengths are different from Rodri’s. He is not yet a fully developed playmaker from the No. 6 position. His greatest qualities at this stage are his composure on the ball, press resistance and strong awareness of space.
His athleticism and mobility help him win duels and cover large areas in central midfield. Under pressure, he can protect possession through quick changes of direction and intelligent use of his body. Without the ball, he generally remains patient and only steps out of position when the opportunity to intervene is right.
There is still room for improvement in his progressive passing. At present, Bouaddi is more of a stabilising midfielder who circulates possession reliably than one who consistently breaks lines with ambitious passes. Maresca is therefore likely to focus on involving him more heavily in the build-up and developing him into a player capable of dictating the tempo and direction of matches from deeper positions.
