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  • France links rise in drownings to heatwaves

    France links rise in drownings to heatwaves

    As record-breaking heatwaves continue to scorch Southern Europe, fueled by accelerating climate change, France has reported a sharp and tragic rise in preventable drowning deaths linked to extreme hot weather. Official government data shows that between June 19 and the end of July 2026, 301 people have died from drowning across the country – a 14 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025.

    French Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari described the rising fatality count as a “tragic toll” in an interview with public broadcaster France Inter, directly attributing the spike to extended heatwave conditions that have driven millions of people to seek relief in unregulated water bodies.

    The current heatwave event has hit three major Southern European nations – France, Spain, and Italy – with particular severity, pushing temperatures well above seasonal averages and creating dry conditions that have sparked large-scale wildfires that have already burned thousands of hectares of forest and wild land.

    Ferrari explained that many of the fatal accidents have stemmed from people taking unwise risks by swimming in areas not approved or monitored for recreational water use. “Many deadly accidents have occurred in areas that are not authorised or supervised for swimming,” she noted, adding that a large share of these deaths have been recorded in open natural and urban water sites, most notably canals like the iconic Canal Saint-Martin in central Paris, where crowds gathered to cool off in late July photos captured by media outlets. The minister also added that a notable number of drowning deaths, particularly among older adults, have occurred in private residential pools.

    Beyond the risks of poor water conditions and lack of lifeguard supervision, Ferrari warned of hidden physiological dangers of sudden water immersion on extremely hot days. When people jump into much colder water than their overheated body, the sudden temperature shift can trigger unexpected cold water shock, which can incapacitate even strong swimmers before they can reach safety. She added that many people also overestimate their physical endurance in hot weather, pushing themselves beyond their limits even when they start to feel fatigued.

    This is not the first official warning about unregulated swimming this summer. Back in June, Ferrari publicly raised the alarm that too many people were seeking relief from rising temperatures in rivers and canals without fully understanding or accounting for the life-threatening risks associated with these unmonitored sites.

    The ongoing extreme heat across Europe is not an isolated event, scientists and climate agencies confirm. It is part of a long-term trend driven by human-caused climate change, which is pushing average global temperatures higher across every continent. Europe is warming far faster than the global average, heating at twice the rate of the overall global mean temperature, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

    In response to the rising death toll, Minister Ferrari confirmed that the national government is collaborating with regional and local authorities across France to upgrade public swimming infrastructure, expand supervised recreational areas, and improve overall safety standards for people looking to cool off during future heat events, which are expected to become more frequent and more intense as climate change continues to accelerate.

  • Scam attempts rise as culprits adopt new strategies to steal billions

    Scam attempts rise as culprits adopt new strategies to steal billions

    Over the past 12 months, Australia has seen a dramatic surge in financial scam activity, with criminals adapting increasingly sophisticated, technology-fueled tactics to steal from vulnerable members of the public, new data from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) reveals. The new statistics, published in advance of Australia’s Scam Awareness Week, track scam attempts between October 2025 and June 2026, recording an 18% year-on-year increase in fraudulent activity that cements scams as one of the most pressing ongoing financial threats to Australian consumers. Official figures from the National Anti Scam Centre already show that Australians lost a collective $2.18 billion to scammers in 2025, and ANZ’s latest trend data indicates total losses for 2026 are on track to outpace that figure significantly.

    Ben Verhoef, ANZ’s lead on scam prevention and analysis, explained that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence have reshaped how scammers operate, eroding many of the red flags consumers have long been taught to look for. “Scammers now leverage AI tools to craft more convincing, professional messages with flawless grammar and formatting,” Verhoef said. “For years, we advised people to watch for typos and odd fonts as warning signs, but scammers have largely overcome those telltale weaknesses.”

    Of all tracked scam tactics, fraudulent goods and services schemes linked to online shopping remain the most common way scammers target consumers. Impersonation schemes, investment scams, and romance scams also rank among the most prevalent, with romance and friendship scams recording the fastest growth in customer losses of any category. ANZ’s analysis also identified seasonal patterns in scam activity, with sharp spikes recorded during the end of the Australian financial year and the annual university intake period.

    That seasonal peak puts international students, one of the most vulnerable demographics targeted by scammers, at particularly high risk, Verhoef noted. Criminals now use language translation technology and professional interpreting services to communicate with students in their native languages, eliminating language barriers that once limited attacks on this group. “Many of these students are young, and they often don’t have experience verifying whether a communication is legitimate or a threat,” Verhoef explained. “Scammers exploit their fear to get them to comply with demands immediately.”

    Verhoef shared alarming examples of scams targeting international students, including schemes where criminals impersonate police or government officials from the students’ home countries to coerce payments, and recruitment plots that offer students thousands of dollars to rent or sell their Australian bank account credentials after they graduate. “Once scammers gain control of a student’s account, we lose visibility into who is actually controlling the funds, which lets criminals move illicit money across the financial system without leaving a trace back to themselves,” he said.

    Despite the sharp rise in scam attempts, ANZ’s data brings a note of positive progress: the bank reported a 24% drop in customer scam losses over the reporting period, with more than $100 million in at-risk funds saved or recovered by the bank’s security systems. Customers also contributed to this success by aborting more than 476,000 suspicious payments after noticing mismatched recipient details. ANZ emphasizes that there is no shame in falling victim to a scam, and urges anyone who suspects they may be targeted to reach out for support immediately.

    Verhoef added that the bank continues to adapt its security infrastructure to keep pace with evolving scam tactics. “We’re constantly improving our ability to identify fraudulent transactions,” he said. “The earlier our detection tools flag suspicious activity and intervene, the better outcome we get for customers. Our in-house teams continuously monitor shifts in the scam and fraud landscape to update our detection rules to match new threats.”

  • Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi left out of Lille squad amid a reported big-money move to Manchester City

    Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi left out of Lille squad amid a reported big-money move to Manchester City

    LILLE, France — The global football transfer market is buzzing with fresh speculation after highly touted teenage midfield talent Ayyoub Bouaddi was excluded from Lille’s matchday squad for the club’s 2025-26 season opening fixture against Angers this Sunday. The unexpected omission has fueled widespread reports that an eight-figure transfer to English Premier League powerhouse Manchester City is days away from completion.

    Leading French sports outlet L’Equipe’s website and broadcaster RMC Radio have both reported that the 18-year-old Moroccan international is poised to sign a five-year contract with City, with the total transfer fee set at 100 million euros, equivalent to roughly $117 million. If finalized, the deal will mark one of the highest transfer fees ever paid for a teenager in European football history.

    Bouaddi first rose to global prominence during the most recent FIFA World Cup, where his polished ball control, advanced tactical awareness and remarkable on-pitch maturity for a player his age drew praise from fans, pundits and top club scouts across the continent. For Manchester City, the potential signing is framed as a long-term succession plan: the club recently lost star holding midfielder Rodri, a former Ballon d’Or winner who departed for Barcelona after captaining Spain to World Cup glory earlier this year.

    As of Sunday, neither Lille OSC nor Manchester City has issued an official confirmation or denial of the transfer talks. Manchester City was scheduled to host AFC Bournemouth in its own Premier League opening fixture the same weekend Bouaddi was left out of Lille’s squad, with no official comment emerging from either camp ahead of kickoff.

    This is not the first time Bouaddi has been in the spotlight for his exceptional talent. Two years ago, the young midfielder was already being compared to Lille icon Eden Hazard, who left the French club to become a global star at Chelsea in the Premier League, with many observers labeling Bouaddi the most talented midfield prospect to emerge from Lille’s academy since Hazard.

    Bouaddi joined Lille’s youth academy in 2021, and quickly made club history: just three days after his 16th birthday in October 2023, he became the youngest player ever to feature in a UEFA club competition, coming off the bench in a Europa Conference League fixture against Faroe Islands side KI Klaksvík.

    The potential €100 million sale of Bouaddi would continue Lille’s well-documented track record of developing top young talent and securing record transfer fees for elite prospects. In 2019, the club sold Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé to Arsenal for €80 million, followed a year later by the sale of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen to Napoli for a similar eight-figure sum. Both players went on to establish themselves as key starters at their new top-flight clubs.

  • China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission launch

    China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission launch

    In an unexpected announcement made on Sunday, China has confirmed the postponement of its highly anticipated Chang’e-7 lunar mission, a groundbreaking expedition designed to hunt for water ice and conduct extensive surveys of the moon’s southern polar region. The robotic spacecraft, which forms the seventh installment of China’s expanding Chang’e lunar exploration program, was originally scheduled to launch within days from the Wenchang Space Launch Center located on the southern island province of Hainan. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) stated in a concise official statement that the mission currently fails to meet required launch conditions, meaning it cannot proceed within the pre-scheduled launch window for 2025. The postponement decision was reached after a comprehensive technical review, with the space agency noting that the call aligns with its core guiding principles of prudence, reliability, and a commitment to ensuring absolute mission success. No further details regarding the specific technical issues or the revised launch timeline have been released to the public at this time. Over the past several weeks, launch teams at the Wenchang facility had been conducting final pre-launch preparations for the mission, which was billed as a major step forward in China’s lunar exploration ambitions. Prior to the postponement announcement, China’s official state news agency Xinhua had outlined the mission’s far-reaching scientific objectives. Beyond its primary goal of detecting and mapping water ice deposits in the moon’s permanently shadowed polar craters, Chang’e-7 was tasked with carrying out comprehensive surveys of the lunar south pole’s surface environment and natural resource potential. The mission was also expected to deliver major breakthroughs in several key lunar exploration technologies, including precision landing, rover mobility, and deep space remote sensing. China’s Chang’e lunar program takes its name from the legendary moon goddess of Chinese mythology. The program has achieved a string of historic milestones in recent years, most recently the 2024 return of the Chang’e-6 probe, which brought the first ever samples of rock and soil collected from the far side of the moon back to Earth — a feat no other space program had accomplished before.

  • Kejelcha breaks men’s half marathon world record by 29 seconds

    Kejelcha breaks men’s half marathon world record by 29 seconds

    On Sunday, Ethiopian long-distance running star Yomif Kejelcha delivered a history-making performance at a World Athletics-sanctioned road racing event in Buenos Aires, shattering the existing men’s half-marathon world record to reclaim the title he briefly lost earlier this year.

    The 29-year-old cross the finish line in a blistering 56 minutes and 51 seconds, cutting a full 29 seconds off the previous benchmark set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo back in March. Kiplimo had clocked 57:20 at a race in Lisbon to take the record from Kejelcha, who had first set a world leading mark of 57:30 at the Valencia race in October 2024. Kejelcha’s new record still awaits official ratification from global governing body World Athletics, but the on-course result has already sent ripples through the international distance running community.

    This sensational result adds another landmark achievement to Kejelcha’s already decorated athletic resume. A world track championships silver medalist in the 10,000m track event, Kejelcha already holds the world record for the men’s 10,000m road race. Earlier in 2025, he also made global running history as one of the first male athletes to finish a marathon under two hours in record-eligible conditions, taking second place just 11 seconds behind Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe at the London Marathon, where Sawe crossed the line in 1:59:30.

  • DR Congo and M23 rebels agree roadmap for peace talks

    DR Congo and M23 rebels agree roadmap for peace talks

    After five days of intensive closed-door negotiations in Switzerland, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement have reached a historic breakthrough: a formal roadmap to guide future peace negotiations aimed at ending decades of brutal conflict in eastern DRC. The joint agreement, announced publicly following the talks, commits both sides to pursue good-faith negotiations toward a lasting, comprehensive peace and durable conflict resolution, while establishing two new oversight bodies to monitor compliance with existing ceasefire terms.

    The negotiated timeline builds on the U.S.-brokered Doha Framework Agreement signed by both parties in 2025, a deal that failed to stop escalating violence just months after it was finalized. Despite the optimistic step forward, core disagreements continue to divide the two sides: thorny issues including international sanctions on M23 leadership, the release of civilian and combatant detainees, and the scheduling of long-promised political reforms remain unresolved, casting a shadow over the implementation process.

    The latest round of talks brought together a broad coalition of international and regional mediators, including representatives from Qatar, the United States, Togo, the African Union Commission, and host nation Switzerland. Per the joint statement released at the conclusion of negotiations, the new progress-review mechanism will be tasked with tracking compliance with all obligations outlined in the 2025 Doha framework, and addressing emerging implementation challenges as they arise.

    Mediators and negotiating parties have agreed to a set of sequenced, time-bound steps for upcoming negotiations, with both sides committing to approach remaining disputes with flexibility and creative problem-solving to avoid a return to open conflict. A dedicated ceasefire monitoring mechanism has also been formalized, with its administrative secretariat already fully operational. The mechanism’s first on-the-ground verification mission is scheduled to launch this coming Monday in Minembwe, a conflict-battered region of South Kivu that has seen repeated outbreaks of fighting in recent months.

    Even with repeated public commitments to a ceasefire over the past years, heavy fighting has persisted across both North and South Kivu provinces, with Kinshasa and M23 regularly trading accusations of ceasefire violations. The decades-long conflict in eastern DRC is deeply intertwined with long-running geopolitical tensions between DRC and its eastern neighbor Rwanda. Rwanda has repeatedly justified its involvement in the region by arguing that DRC has failed to disarm the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed opposition group that Kigali views as a direct threat to Rwandan national security.

    In contrast, the DRC government denies providing any support to the FDLR, and has long presented concrete evidence that Rwanda provides direct military backing to M23, including supplying frontline troops and advanced weaponry to the rebel group. The conflict escalated dramatically in January 2025, when M23 forces launched a major offensive that seized control of large swathes of eastern DRC, including the major regional hub of Goma and two key civilian and military airports. Over the 30 years of sustained conflict in the region, an estimated tens of thousands of people have been killed, and more than hundreds of thousands of civilian residents have been forced to flee their homes, seeking safety in overcrowded displacement camps or neighboring countries.

    Eastern DRC holds vast reserves of coltan and other critical minerals that are essential inputs for the global electronics and clean energy industries, making the stability of the region strategically important for global supply chains. Rwanda has repeatedly and publicly denied claims of backing M23, despite widespread documentary and on-the-ground evidence of its military involvement, and has consistently framed any cross-border military presence as a defensive measure to counter threats from anti-Rwandan armed groups operating from DRC territory.

  • ‘New season, new trim’ – Haaland reveals buzzcut

    ‘New season, new trim’ – Haaland reveals buzzcut

    For decades, top-level football has been home to some of sport’s most memorable long hairstyles, from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s signature mane to Gareth Bale’s flowing locks and Erling Haaland’s instantly recognizable blonde man bun. But as the 2026/27 Premier League season prepares to get underway, the Manchester City star has turned football fandom on its head with a dramatic new look that has already sparked conversation across the sport.

    The Norwegian striker broke the news himself on his personal social media channels, where he shared behind-the-scenes content of his big cut alongside the simple message: “New season, new trim.” The chop marks Haaland’s first major style change since moving to Manchester City, and comes just days ahead of City’s opening fixture of the new campaign against Bournemouth, kicking off at 14:00 BST on Sunday. The 26-year-old will be hoping his fresh trim brings the same prolific goalscoring form that has made him one of the most dominant strikers in world football, as he looks to get his season off to a flying start at the Etihad Stadium.

    Ahead of the final chop, Haaland shared playful throwback snaps of every hairstyle he has sported across his professional career, and even joked with fans about a number of wild potential cuts he considered before settling on his shorter style. Video footage captured the moment his hairdresser made the first snip: Haaland initially looked visibly nervous, but that nervousness quickly turned to amusement as the cut took shape, and he was soon grinning at his new reflection in the mirror.

    To get immediate reactions from some of the biggest names in his life, Haaland placed surprise video calls to three key people after the cut: his Manchester City teammate Jack Grealish, Oasis frontman and lifelong City fan Noel Gallagher, and former City manager Pep Guardiola. Reactions to the new look were overwhelmingly positive from the trio. Noel Gallagher joked that the cut knocked a decade off Haaland’s age, saying: “You look about 17 years old. It’s good. Change is good.” Grealish was similarly enthusiastic, quipping: “You look about 10 years old. That is hilarious. I can’t stop looking at the front of your hair. I love it.” Guardiola, who knows Haaland’s game better than most after leading him to multiple Premier League and Champions League titles, added: “No way. You’re lucky you have hair. I would love to have it. I love it.”

    The only dissenting voice came from Ibrahimovic, the man who previously advised Haaland to never part with his long locks. Before calling the Swedish legend, Haaland joked to fans: “Zlatan told me, never cut your hair, because your strength is in your hair. I’m a bit nervous. I want a buzz cut, like in the military.” True to his word, Ibrahimovic did not hold back when he saw the new cut, playfully teasing Haaland for ignoring his advice: “What did you do? You lost a bet or what? Block me and erase my number.”

    The style marks Haaland’s first short haircut since his time playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, ending a multi-year run of the blonde man bun that became as recognizable to fans as his record-breaking goal tally. As the new season gets underway, all eyes will be on whether the new look signals another year of historic goalscoring for the City striker.

  • Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires

    Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires

    A major law enforcement crackdown is underway in Indonesia after a months-long crisis of rampant forest and peatland fires, which have spread dangerous choking haze across the country and into neighboring Malaysia. National police have taken 72 individuals into custody, all accused of igniting blazes that have ravaged vast swathes of land across key fire-affected regions, according to senior law enforcement officials.

    The 2024 fire season has been amplified by a strengthening El Niño climate pattern, which has dragged the country into an extended, extreme dry season that creates ideal conditions for blazes to spread rapidly. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) confirmed that smoke from the ongoing fires has drifted across national borders, creating public health emergencies in parts of Malaysia.

    For decades, illegal slash-and-burn land clearing has been a persistent environmental and diplomatic challenge for Indonesia, repeatedly straining bilateral relations with regional neighbors that bear the brunt of transboundary haze. Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency, explained that the practice is overwhelmingly driven by economic incentives: plantation operators and small-scale traditional farmers commonly set fires to clear new agricultural land for a fraction of the cost of legal clearing methods.

    As of Sunday’s official update, the 72 detained suspects are tied to 89 open forest and land fire investigations spanning nine provinces across two of Indonesia’s most fire-prone islands: Borneo and Sumatra. Irhamni emphasized that most suspects face allegations of deliberate arson carried out to clear land for commercial agricultural plantations. The investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement currently tracing financial records to uncover whether larger corporations provided funding or ordered the illegal clearing operations. This means the net of suspects is likely to widen far beyond the low-level actors already taken into custody.

    “We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground,” Irhamni told reporters during a press briefing in Jakarta, the nation’s capital. “We will determine who benefited from these activities and who was ultimately behind them.”

    Convictions on arson charges linked to illegal land clearing carry severe penalties under Indonesian law, with sentences ranging from substantial financial fines to maximum prison terms of 15 years, Irhamni added.

    On Sunday alone, official data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment recorded more than 3,700 active hot spots across the Indonesian-administered portion of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island which it shares with Malaysia and Brunei. BNPB head Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name, confirmed that fire activity has spiked sharply across West, Central, and South Kalimantan provinces on Borneo. The prevalence of waterlogged peatlands in these regions makes fires particularly difficult to extinguish, as smoldering embers can burn underground for weeks even after surface flames are put out, prolonging haze production across populated areas.

    “Land that appears extinguished on the surface may still contain embers underneath, so sufficient rainfall is crucial to rewet the peat and fully suppress the fires,” Suharyanto explained.

    The situation is equally severe on the western island of Sumatra, where more than 1,700 hot spots were detected on Sunday. In some parts of South Sumatra province, dense hazardous haze has cut visibility to just 10 meters, or 33 feet, according to the Environment Ministry.

    In response to the escalating crisis, Indonesian disaster management authorities have resumed cloud-seeding operations across Kalimantan to induce much-needed rainfall. A total of 52 helicopters have been deployed to fire zones across both islands: 30 are assigned to water-bombing and aerial patrol missions across Borneo, while an additional 22 aircraft are operating across Sumatra.

    Across the border, the transboundary haze has triggered a major public health disruption in Malaysia. The eastern state of Sarawak, located on Borneo, has been the hardest hit. On Friday, one Sarawak district recorded “very unhealthy” air quality readings, while eight other districts posted unhealthy levels. In response, local authorities ordered the closure of nearly 600 schools, disrupting in-person learning for roughly 200,000 enrolled students, the Sarawak state government confirmed.

  • Golf brand apologises for advert that shows woman being pushed over

    Golf brand apologises for advert that shows woman being pushed over

    One of golf’s biggest digital content brands, Good Good, has found itself at the center of widespread public backlash after publishing a promotional advertisement for golf manufacturer Callaway that depicted physical violence against a woman, prompting apologies from the brand, its partner Callaway, and a response from the PGA Tour over the incident.

    Founded in 2020, Good Good has grown exponentially from a small YouTube golf channel to a major player in the golf digital space, boasting more than 2.1 million YouTube subscribers and earning a sponsorship deal for a new PGA Tour tournament. The brand has built its public identity around expanding access to golf, framing itself as a creator group that makes the sport more accessible and inclusive for new and diverse audiences. That positioning made the controversial ad all the more jarring for audiences when it was published earlier this month.

    The deleted advertisement, created to promote Callaway’s new line of golf drivers, featured Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark and professional golfer and frequent Good Good contributor Alexis Miestowski. In the clip, Miestowski reaches for Clark’s new driver, prompting Clark to rush across the frame and push her forcefully to the ground, before yelling the line: “Do not touch my new driver.”

    Once the clip spread across social media platforms, it quickly drew intense criticism from golf fans and observers, who accused Good Good of trivializing gender-based violence and perpetuating misogynistic attitudes in a sport that has long worked to expand its female audience.

    Within days of the backlash erupting, Good Good pulled the ad from all its channels and issued a public apology on X, the social platform previously known as Twitter. “We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand,” the statement read. “We have since taken that content down, and sincerely apologize. Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission moving forward.”

    Callaway, the golf manufacturing giant that has partnered with Good Good on branded content since 2023, also released a statement distancing itself from the problematic clip while acknowledging Good Good’s quick response to the controversy. “We are disappointed by the content that was posted, and are appreciative of Good Good for addressing this,” the company said. “We look forward to working together to ensure a more inclusive space in golf.”

    The incident has also drawn a response from the PGA Tour, which recently partnered with Good Good to launch the inaugural Good Good Championship, scheduled to take place in Texas this coming November. In a statement, a Tour spokesperson reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to a welcoming golf environment, noting that the deleted clip does not align with its core values. “The PGA Tour believes in golf’s ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all,” the statement read. “We do not condone violence in any form, and the since-deleted video does not reflect our values or commitment to inclusivity and respect.”

    Beyond its viral YouTube challenge content, Good Good has expanded into original television programming, branded apparel, and merchandise partnerships in recent years, making it one of the most successful new golf brands to emerge from the social media creator economy. The controversy comes as the golf industry as a whole continues to push for greater gender inclusivity, working to attract more female players and fans to a sport that has historically been male-dominated.

  • Man City agree £86m deal for teen midfielder Bouaddi

    Man City agree £86m deal for teen midfielder Bouaddi

    One of European football’s most dominant clubs, Manchester City, has reached a preliminary agreement valued at 100 million euros (£85.6 million) to sign 18-year-old Moroccan international midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French Ligue 1 side Lille, senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has confirmed.

    Earlier this week, BBC Sport first broke the news that negotiations between the two clubs had entered the final stages for the teenage prospect’s transfer to the Premier League champions. The agreement, which will see Bouaddi join manager Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad, includes an initial fixed transfer fee of £81.4 million, with an additional £4.2 million in performance-based add-on clauses. The young midfielder is now set to complete the protracted transfer process to move to England after Lille formalized its acceptance of the offer.

    The move comes as Manchester City reshapes its central midfield unit this transfer window, following the high-profile departures of two key midfielders this summer: Rodri moved to Barcelona in a £65 million deal, while Tijjani Reinders departed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah for £52 million. City have already made one major midfield addition, signing England international Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million. Club sources confirm the side still holds interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, though it remains unclear whether a second deal for the Argentine can be finalized before the transfer window closes.

    Bouaddi’s rise to the top of European football’s most-wanted prospect lists has been rapid and remarkable. He made his senior debut for Lille in October 2023, just three days after his 16th birthday, breaking club legend Eden Hazard’s record to become the youngest senior player in Lille’s history. Just one year later, on his 17th birthday, he delivered a man-of-the-match performance to help Lille secure a iconic Champions League group stage victory over Real Madrid, announcing his talent to a global audience and earning a standing ovation and chants from the packed crowd at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

    He went on to break another of Hazard’s records earlier this year, becoming the youngest player in club history to reach 50 Ligue 1 appearances at just 18 years old. Across two senior seasons, Bouaddi has racked up 88 total appearances for Lille, helping the club finish third in Ligue 1 last term to secure a return to Champions League football for the 2025-26 season.

    This past summer, he continued his breakout as a star for Morocco at the World Cup, starting five of the North African side’s six matches as they advanced to the tournament quarter-finals. A deep-lying playmaker by trade, Bouaddi’s style of play is expected to complement new signing Elliot Anderson, who can operate both as a box-to-box midfielder and in the holding number six role for England.

    Manchester City is preparing to open its 2025-26 Premier League campaign this Sunday, hosting Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 14:00 BST. The side heads into the new season after a narrow defeat to Arsenal in last weekend’s FA Community Shield, the traditional season opener between the previous campaign’s league champion and FA Cup winner.