Meunier Questions Manchester City’s €100m Deal for Ayyoub Bouaddi
Thomas Meunier has questioned the logic of modern transfer pricing after Manchester City completed a €100m move for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, while insisting his former team-mate has the ability to thrive at the highest level.
Meunier separates Bouaddi’s talent from the transfer fee
Bouaddi, 18, leaves Lille as one of France’s most highly regarded young midfielders after City made a major investment in bringing him to the Etihad Stadium. The deal has been reported at €100m, with Meunier referring to a £100m figure when discussing the scale of the move.
The Sunderland full-back spent the previous two seasons alongside Bouaddi at Lille and offered an emphatic assessment of the teenager’s quality. However, he argued that the sums attached to elite transfers no longer offer a reliable measure of a player’s value.
“Ayyoub is unbelievable,” Meunier said, but added that “there is no logic anymore” when the discussion turns to fees. He illustrated his point with a deliberately blunt comparison, saying a club could spend £200m on “a donkey” while a very good footballer might cost £20m.
The Belgian’s criticism was directed at the wider market rather than Bouaddi’s ability. City’s commitment under Enzo Maresca gives the young midfielder an immediate high-profile challenge in English football, with expectations inevitably shaped by the size of the agreement.
Turning points in Meunier and Bouaddi’s changing paths
- Bouaddi establishes himself as a leading teenage midfield prospect during his time at Lille.
- Manchester City agree a €100m transfer to take the 18-year-old to the Etihad Stadium.
- Meunier, who played with Bouaddi for two seasons in France, joins Sunderland after an earlier move was prevented by an injury crisis.
- Sunderland face Arsenal, prepare to meet AZ Alkmaar on Wednesday, then travel into a Sunday meeting with Manchester City.
Sunderland defender embraces the English game
Meunier’s own route to England took longer than he had hoped. The former Borussia Dortmund defender had previously seen a Sunderland switch collapse amid injuries, but has now made the move and says the league matches the football he watched growing up.
He highlighted the packed grounds, atmosphere, quality and intensity of the competition, describing it as an “organised mess” that suits his view of the game. Meunier admitted some regret at not joining an English club earlier, yet said he was particularly pleased to be at Sunderland.
The defender feels an affinity with the club and city, pointing to Sunderland’s popular football culture and describing it as a walkable place that reminds him in part of where he comes from.
Familiar opponents await in City fixture
The meeting with Manchester City next Sunday will put Meunier directly against Bouaddi soon after the midfielder’s arrival in Manchester. It will also reunite the Sunderland player with Erling Haaland, his former Borussia Dortmund colleague.
Haaland’s record means Sunderland will have little need for a reminder of the threat City carry. For Meunier, the fixture combines a demanding test against familiar opponents with a first chance to see how Bouaddi handles the pressure of his costly new move.
Key takeaways
- Manchester City have signed 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for a reported €100m.
- Meunier believes Bouaddi is an outstanding prospect but considers current transfer valuations irrational.
- The Sunderland defender is enjoying his eventual move to English football after an earlier switch was disrupted by injuries.
- Sunderland face AZ Alkmaar on Wednesday before playing City next Sunday.
- Meunier will meet both former Lille colleague Bouaddi and ex-Dortmund team-mate Haaland in the City match.
