Top six biggest sales by Lille ft. Ayyoub Bouaddi & Eden Hazard

Les Dogues shattered internal records with Ayyoub Bouaddi’s landmark transfer.

A very small number of football clubs around the world have built a reputation for discovering, developing and selling young talent quite like the Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille. Over the years, their strategy has paid off big time.

Well-known stars like Eden Hazard, Victor Osimhen, Rafael Leao, Nicolas Pepe and now Ayyoub Bouaddi have made it to one of Europe’s most respected clubs.

Over the years, they have made modest investments and have turned them into jaw-dropping transfer windfalls. Their talent factory strikes again as Manchester City have gone forward to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi for a reported fee of £85.6 million. It is a massive deal for both the club and the player. This also makes Bouaddi the most expensive teenage signing in the English Premier League.

Also Read: Premier League 2026-27: List of all captains

Biggest transfer sales by Lille

Eden Hazard

After starting his football career for the youth side of Tubize, he soon moved to Lille’s youth team on a free transfer during the 2005-06 season. The Belgian joined the French side as a teenager and was developed into one of the brightest young footballers in Europe.

Eden Hazard became a key player for Lille and was part of the club during their most successful periods. His performances on the field eventually attracted Chelsea, who signed him for £32m in 2012.

Rafael Leao

After starting his footballing journey in Portugal, he moved to Lille OSC during the 2018-19 campaign. His stay was not too long with the Ligue 1 club. He only spent one season with Lille, and his performances were enough to attract the attention of AC Milan. The Italian giants signed him for £32m in 2019, and Leao has transformed into one of the most dangerous wingers in modern football.

Leny Yoro

Leny Yoro began his career as a footballer after becoming part of Lille’s youth system. He quickly progressed through the Under-17 and Under-19 ranks of the club. Yoro played for Lille’s B team for the first time in 2021-22. He became a part of their senior team during the 2022-23 season. His performances made him a regular starter for the first team despite being a teenager.

Manchester United committed around £58.9 million for the defender in 2024, making him another major Lille sale.

Nicolas Pepe

Nicolas Pepe did not start his career with LOSC Lille, but joined them in the 2018-19 season. It was a spectacular campaign for the Ivory Coast star. He scored goals and came up with sensational plays for the Ligue 1 side from the right flank. His performances on the field were quite noticeable and attracted multiple European clubs, but in the end it was Arsenal who signed him for £72 million in 2019.

Victor Osimhen

The Nigerian forward takes the second spot on the list. Victor Osimhen joined Lille OSC during the 2019-20 season. His stay was relatively short, but it was enough to convince Napoli that the Nigerian striker had the qualities to become a world-class forward. With his blast of pace, physical dominance and goal-scoring capabilities, Osimhen became one of the most exciting young attackers in European football.

The Serie A side Napoli paid £73.2 million for the Nigerian striker in 2020.

Ayyoub Bouaddi

Ayyoub Bouaddi recently impressed everyone with his performances for the Morocco national football team during the FIFA World Cup 2026. At just 18 years of age, he controlled the ball very well in the midfield.

Bouaddi emerged from Lille’s academy and quickly progressed through the under-17 and under-19 sides to make his senior debut in 2023-24. Manchester City have not reached an agreement with the Ligue 1 side to sign the teenager for £85.6m.

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