Mohamed Aboutrika has accused Enzo Maresca of misusing Ayyoub Bouaddi, arguing that Manchester City are asking a natural defensive midfielder to do a job that was never his.
The 19-year-old started Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat by Brighton and was the first player substituted, withdrawn after 55 minutes.
It was his fifth start of the season in all competitions, and the Morocco international looked increasingly frustrated by the role he had been given in City’s midfield.
Aboutrika, a two-time African champion with Egypt in 2006 and 2008 who now works as a pundit for beIN Sports MENA, was in no mood to soften his verdict.
“Playing Ayyoub Bouaddi as a number eight or number 10 is like playing Messi in goal. His position is number six. Why change his positioning?” he said, according to Man City Core.
For Aboutrika, the qualities that made such an impression during Morocco’s run at the 2026 World Cup include winning the ball back, distributing it and carrying it forward from deep. These are being under-used in the more advanced role Bouaddi has occupied at the Etihad Stadium this season.
Maresca’s midfield gamble against Brighton
Saturday was meant to showcase the midfield City’s supporters had been clamouring for: Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez together, a trio that cost the club in the region of £325m combined.
In practice, Bouaddi and Fernandez repeatedly pushed into the same advanced areas, leaving Anderson isolated as he tried to shield City’s back four largely on his own.
Yasin Ayari’s goal in the 11th minute proved decisive. Rayan Cherki replaced Bouaddi after 55 minutes, and City looked noticeably sharper once the change was made — a shift that did little to help the teenager’s case.
Maresca has defended the selection, insisting that starting three physically imposing midfielders together was a deliberate approach, with the intention of freshening the team up for the closing 20 to 30 minutes.
Aboutrika’s criticism cuts in a different direction: he believes Bouaddi spent too much of the afternoon running forward instead of screening in front of the defence, and paid the price by being the first man withdrawn.
It is worth recalling exactly what City signed last summer. Bouaddi, who idolises Andres Iniesta, arrived as a defensive midfielder by trade and that, according to Aboutrika, is precisely the side of his game that has been neglected.
Bouaddi joined from Lille in a deal reported to be worth around £86m, making him the most expensive African player in history at the time, a record since surpassed by Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande’s move to Real Madrid.
His return so far reads as two assists from nine appearances. It is a modest tally for a player who already has ten caps for Morocco.
His strongest performances have come in Europe. Bouaddi started City’s 2-0 win away at Porto, after which Maresca said he “was never confused”.
He also came off the bench at half-time against Paris Saint-Germain to set up an Erling Haaland goal, with Maresca reflecting afterwards that “against these teams you need to be quite strong in the middle”.
