Manchester City may have found another youngster ready to make a serious impact.
Enzo Maresca has singled out Ayyoub Bouaddi for special praise after the 18-year-old midfielder produced an assured performance in his first full Manchester City appearance.
Bouaddi played 75 minutes as City secured a 2-0 Champions League victory over Porto at the Estádio do Dragão, helping the visitors begin their European campaign with an important away win.
While Erling Haaland grabbed the headlines with his match-winning brace, Bouaddi quietly delivered the kind of performance that caught his manager’s attention.
For Maresca, the most impressive part was not simply the teenager’s ability on the ball. It was his reaction to mistakes.
The City boss pointed to Bouaddi’s performance against Coventry, where the youngster lost possession twice but immediately showed the composure to recover rather than panic.
“He’s very good,” smiled Maresca.
“Against Coventry he lost two balls and after he lost them, he was in our box, calm.
“Any player would panic but this shows how good he is. He’s just 18. You expect Erling, Ruben, Mateo that they can manage these games, but he was top.
“You never expect that. Congratulations to Ayyoub and this is the reason he’s here with us.”
That mentality could be just as important as Bouaddi’s technical qualities as he attempts to establish himself in a star-studded Manchester City squad.
At only 18, the midfielder is sharing a dressing room with established names and competing for minutes at the highest level of European football.
Yet Maresca believes Bouaddi has already shown an unusual level of maturity.
The teenager’s arrival has also impressed City’s senior players, according to the manager.
“The players are happy when a big player arrives, they can see how good he is.”
Maresca also highlighted another quality that could help Bouaddi settle quickly at the Etihad.
“He speaks French, English, and Spanish perfectly.”
For a young player moving into a dressing room packed with international stars, that ability to communicate across languages can make a major difference.
But it is Bouaddi’s personality that appears to have left the strongest impression on Maresca.
“He’s different in terms of empathy, how mature he is and this is why the club made the effort to bring him here with us.”
Those words carry plenty of weight.
Manchester City are not short of established midfield talent, meaning an 18-year-old breaking into the first team requires more than technical ability. He needs confidence, intelligence and the personality to cope with demanding moments.
Bouaddi showed all three against Porto.
The Moroccan teenager did not look overwhelmed by the occasion. Instead, he looked comfortable operating alongside some of City’s biggest stars as Maresca’s side navigated a difficult Champions League away fixture.
The performance may have lasted only 75 minutes, but it could prove to be an important first step in Bouaddi’s Manchester City journey.
Haaland provided the goals. City provided the result.
But while the spotlight stayed firmly on the Norwegian striker, Bouaddi gave Maresca another reason to smile.
At 18, the teenager is clearly not being treated as a project for the distant future.
He is already being trusted in the biggest games.
And if his Porto performance is anything to go by, Manchester City supporters may not have to wait long to discover just how special their new midfield prospect can become.
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