Manchester City targets £85M Bouaddi as Rodri heads to Barcelona

Manchester City are in advanced talks to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for around £85 million, and the club is being very deliberate about one thing: he is not being brought in to fill Rodri’s boots. That framing matters, because Rodri is heading to Barcelona for £65.4 million after seven seasons at the Etihad, and the gap he leaves is not the kind you patch with a single signing. Two deals, one summer Rodri’s departure has been a long time coming. Barcelona submitted bids of €45 million and then around €60 million before City finally accepted a third offer worth £65.4 million. Rodri completed his medical in Barcelona around August 16, 2026, and described the move back to Spain as a dream. Bouaddi arrives with credentials that make the price tag feel less alarming than it looks. He has made 88 senior appearances for Lille, performing in one of Europe’s more competitive top flights, and he drew considerable attention for his performances at the 2026 World Cup representing Morocco. Still, £85 million for a teenager is a significant bet. Context helps: City signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer for a club-record £116 million, so the Bouaddi fee, while substa...