The Manchester City player who impressed Enzo Maresca

Manchester Cityhead coach Enzo Maresca spoke warmly about the team's new signing after his Champions League debut. 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi impressed the coach with a confident performance in the match against Porto (2-0).

Bouaddi played for 75 minutes. But what impressed Maresca was not just his technique or statistics, but his reaction after making a mistake.

“He played very well”

In the post-match press conference, Maresca was asked about the young player's debut. The specialist answered the question with a smile.

“He played very well,” said Maresca.

However, the coach's subsequent comments highlighted why Bouaddi stood out.

The biggest impression — the reaction after a mistake

Maresca recalled that in one of the previous matches against Coventry, the young player lost the ball twice.

Usually, for an 18-year-old player, such mistakes can increase psychological pressure. But Bouaddi handled the situation differently.

“He lost the ball twice in that game, but even after the mistakes, he didn't panic, calmly tracked back, and got back into the game.”

According to Maresca, this aspect showed the young player's maturity.

Maresca: “Ayyoub impressed me”

Manchester Cityhas many players expected to perform at a high level. That is why the coach emphasized that it is natural to expect strong performances from leaders like Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, or Mateo Kovacic.

But despite being only 18, Bouaddi was recognized alongside them.

“It is natural to expect such a performance from Erling, Ruben, or Mateo, but Ayyoub impressed me. He is still 18, but he played a huge game.”

These words show that Maresca has high confidence in the young midfielder.

New competition in the team may begin

Bouaddi's performance left a positive impression not only on the coach but also on his teammates.

Maresca says the players are happy that a new strong competitor has joined the team because they can see Bouaddi's potential in practice.

This signals that the 18-year-old's Manchester Cityrole could soon grow even larger.

Is the 95 million euro transfer paying off?

Ayyoub Bouaddi moved from Lille to Manchester City in August of this year.

His transfer was valued at approximately 95 million euros excluding bonuses.

Such a large sum naturally increases the pressure on the player. But Bouaddi is currently showing that he is capable of handling this pressure.

His Champions League performance against Porto was the most serious signal that the 18-year-old is not just a talent bought for the future, but a player who can compete for a starting spot right now.