Manchester City are currently looking at signing Lille star Ayyoub Bouaddi, and whoever comes in next will complete more of the midfield puzzle
Kylian Mbappe of France and Elliot Anderson of England compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Bronze Medal Match match between France and England at Miami Stadium on July 18, 2026 in Miami Gardens, United States. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Kylian Mbappe of France and Elliot Anderson of England compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Bronze Medal Match match between France and England at Miami Stadium on July 18, 2026 in Miami Gardens, United States. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The cost for Ayyoub Bouaddi appears to be high. Lille are looking for around £85m (€100m) for the Moroccan midfielder, and while Manchester City may be able to negotiate that down it will not be to the levels that Bouaddi was being bracketed in.
Such is life in the transfer window, especially when there has been a World Cup to beef up fees. If you want an elite player, it is going to cost you significantly more than it did five years ago, never mind 10 or longer and Bouaddi certainly fits into that category.
The 18-year-old is also not a typical teenager in the game. Having made his Lille debut all the way back in 2023 days after his 16th birthday, he has clocked up more than 100 senior appearances already and played a key role for Morocco this summer.
That doesn't mean he is necessarily worth £85m, but it does mean City sporting director Hugo Viana hasn't walked away from the negotiating table on hearing it. He will try and bring the price down - and there are a few things that can do that, such as agreeing to keep him at Lille for another year - but the price alone has not been a deal-breaker.
Bouaddi would come in as a Rodri replacement, regardless of whether the Spain international signs a new contract or not. City want him to obviously, but they also prefer to have a handover period; Fernandinho remained at the Etihad for the first three seasons of Rodri's time under Pep Guardiola, and even displaced him from the team in the run to the Champions League final in 2021.
Having both players for together for at least one year would clearly push Elliot Anderson higher up. If City are to splash out on Bouaddi, it would be madness to allocate all three players to that one role where often one is all that is required in the Premier League as the Blues dominate possession.
In contrast, walking away from a deal for Bouaddi and signing somebody such as Enzo Fernandez - a name that City have distanced themselves from but who refuses to go away amid obvious ties to Maresca - would point to Anderson being used more in the role that he has for England and would possibly see himself as the Rodri successor.
Chelsea agreeing a £117m move for Morgan Rogers shows the market for premium midfielders, as City already know from signing Anderson. Unless Viana moves for a cheaper alternative, another major sum will be needed to strengthen the midfield the way that is wanted.
There are clearly different roads to take though as they plan for this season and beyond, and their next midfield signing will be revealing in itself but also for Anderson and Rodri.