Manchester City have Lille and Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi on their wishlist this summer
Ayyoub Bouaddi is on Manchester City's radar this summer
Ayyoub Bouaddi is on Manchester City's radar this summer(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Manchester City are preparing for a new era this summer following the departure of Pep Guardiola at the end of last season. The legendary Catalan continues to keep an interest in City with his global ambassadorial role with the City Football Group (CFG), but apart from his name adorning the new North Stand, Guardiola is not looking to loom large.
Behind the scenes, his former assistant and new City boss Enzo Maresca may confide in Guardiola. However, we won't expect the legendary City manager to give his thoughts regularly. With that in mind, a return to the Etihad Stadium may be delayed until Maresca has settled in his new surroundings.
With the Maresca era underway, Guardiola did offer some indirect advice to his replacement this week. "I spoke many times with the Man City sporting director, Txiki Begiristain and Hugo Viana, and said: 'Now we have a young team for the next three or four years'. It’s not true. You don’t know why, but it doesn’t work," he told OKX.
"A lot of players, young players, don’t play and say: 'I want to leave. I’m here in cold Manchester, not playing, I want to leave'. And you have to replace those guys.
"But the big task is how the club, organisation, sporting director, manager, CEO, hierarchy recruit the right players you need - everyone makes mistakes, but make as few as possible. That’s the key point."
Cole Palmer was one of the notable players Guardiola sold during his City tenure. He made just 14 Premier League appearances in his final full season at City, and this pushed him towards Chelsea, where he immediately became a star.
Guardiola's advice could not be more relevant as City look to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The Blues are currently negotiating with Lille for the 18-year-old. The French club value Bouaddi at £85m and have so far been clear with their demands. Lille president Olivier Letang insisted they would want the midfielder to return to the French club next season, were he to be sold.
Letang also mentioned that Bouaddi's next move needed to be right for his development. While Lille will argue that would mean him staying in France where he is guaranteed game time, City are reluctant to do that. If they are to spend £85m, they would want Bouaddi to link up immediately with Maresca's squad.
Although Letang's stance comes with Lille's best interests in mind, he does raise a valuable point about development. There is little to be gained from City spending £85m on a player, only to have him on the bench for a season. Pretty soon, a player of Bouaddi's quality will be itching to leave for first-team chances - just like Guardiola warned.
As things stand, City will have a Rodri and Elliot Anderson midfield partnership, with Mateo Kovacic. Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez among those offering potential options too. Should Maresca sign Bouaddi, it could be wise sending him back to Lille on loan.
Of course, City and Maresca would argue that Bouaddi would get his game time. Rodri's future is not clear and the likes of Kovacic, Reijnders and Gonzalez might not be long-term options either.
If the Blues can introduce him to the squad immediately, then bringing him to the Etihad Stadium this summer makes perfect sense. Bouaddi has plenty of potential, but he has shown at the World Cup that he is also ready to make the next step in his career.
But City must weigh up if next season they can give him the chances he will be wanting before agreeing to the deal. That could mean speaking to Rodri and getting a firm decision on his future. If the 30-year-old wishes to leave City, then signing the Morocco international and giving him the game time he desperately needs next season is the right move.
If they can't offer him that, City risk falling into the trap Guardiola warned them about.