Real Madrid have identified Manchester City teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi as a priority midfield target for next summer’s transfer window — and the Bernabéu club are not stopping there. According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Los Blancos have drawn up a three-man shortlist of central midfielders, with Bouaddi joined by Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi as names firmly in the frame.
The Target and the Competition
Bouaddi is the headline name — and arguably the most difficult to land. The 19-year-old Moroccan international spent the bulk of his development years in France, establishing himself as one of Ligue 1’s most exciting young talents at LOSC Lille, where he racked up close to 100 appearances before making the move to the Etihad this past summer. His versatility is a huge part of the appeal: Bouaddi can operate across multiple roles in midfield, combining an imposing physical presence with genuine technical quality in tight spaces.
At Manchester City, he has been eased into the first-team picture, logging 377 minutes across eight appearances and chipping in with two assists already. He also featured for Morocco — the Atlas Lions — at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underlining just how far his reputation has travelled for a player still only 19.
Fichajes describe Bouaddi as the most “complicated” candidate on Real Madrid’s list, and that’s easy to understand. City signed him this summer as a long-term cornerstone of their midfield rebuild, and they will not be looking to cash in quickly. The report notes that any potential sale could hinge on the financial fallout from the club’s ongoing 115-charge case — a situation Real Madrid will be keeping a close eye on as it develops.
By contrast, Zubimendi is flagged as the most economically realistic option on the list, while Wharton — who has continued to grow in stature at club and international level — is considered a reachable target too. But it’s Bouaddi who fires the imagination, and clearly fires Madrid’s ambition.
Why Madrid Need This so Badly
This pursuit does not come from nowhere. Real Madrid have been wrestling with a genuine structural problem in central midfield ever since Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos brought their legendary Bernabéu careers to a close. Both players were irreplaceable in the traditional sense — their ability to control tempo, unlock defences with incisive passing, and cover ground defensively gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a foundation that current options have struggled to fully replicate.
It’s worth noting that Real Madrid were actually in the race for Bouaddi last summer, only to miss out as Manchester City moved faster and with greater financial firepower. That near-miss clearly has not cooled their interest — if anything, watching him begin to settle into City’s squad has reinforced the belief that he is exactly the profile they need.
Bouaddi’s ability to contribute in the final third through passing and combination play addresses one of the specific issues Madrid’s midfield has faced — a lack of creativity and forward progression from deep positions. His defensive solidity is a bonus, making him a complete rather than one-dimensional option.
What’s Next for Madrid and the Madridistas
For Real Madrid supporters, this is a transfer saga worth tracking closely through the coming months. The Zubimendi link will feel familiar — he has been connected to top clubs for a couple of windows now — and Wharton represents a different but intriguing profile. But Bouaddi is the one that speaks to Madrid’s long-term vision: young, elite, and capable of being the engine room of the squad for the next decade.
The realistic assessment is that prising him away from City in just his first season there will be an enormous challenge. But Real Madrid have done the improbable before in the transfer market, and if Manchester City’s financial situation forces any kind of rethink on squad costs, Los Blancos will be ready to pounce. Summer 2027 could be very interesting indeed.
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