Manchester City Pursue Ayyoub Bouaddi as Rodri Nears Barcelona Exit
Manchester City are preparing for a major reshuffle at the heart of their midfield, closing in on Lille prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi in a move that is expected to open the door for Rodri to join Barcelona.
Bouaddi, just 18 and already a full Morocco international, has agreed personal terms with City. The hard work now lies between the clubs, with Lille valuing the teenager at around €100m (£85m). It is an eye-watering price for a player at the start of his career, but City’s intent is clear: this is not one for the future. Enzo Maresca wants him now.
The new City manager is pushing to integrate Bouaddi straight into his first-team squad. There will be no gentle easing-in if Maresca gets his way. City face Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, then launch their Premier League campaign at home to Bournemouth on 23 August, and the Italian is determined to have his midfield rebuilt by the time the serious business starts.
That rebuild is already under way. Elliot Anderson, signed from Nottingham Forest last month for £116m, is in place as part of a new-look core following the departure of Bernardo Silva. If City can get Bouaddi over the line, Maresca will have two big-money midfield arrivals to offset the looming loss of his most reliable metronome.
Because Rodri is moving closer to the exit.
Barcelona are confident they can prise the 30-year-old away from the Etihad, but their first move – a €45m bid lodged last week – was swiftly rejected. They will have to come back stronger. The Catalan club see Rodri as the anchor around which to build their next midfield, yet they must sell before they can fully commit.
Ferran Torres is the key. Barcelona are prepared to cash in on the forward, who has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, to finance the Rodri deal. Once Torres goes, the numbers start to add up. City, for their part, are described as all but resigned to losing Rodri, who is entering the final year of his contract. The sense is of a relationship reaching its natural end: one more big move, one more big fee, before both sides move on.
If Bouaddi arrives as expected, City’s midfield will look very different very quickly. Anderson’s fee and Bouaddi’s valuation underline how aggressively the champions are willing to spend to refresh an area that has long been their foundation. Experience has gone with Bernardo Silva and, likely, Rodri. In its place: youth, energy, and a manager betting on his ability to mould them at speed.
United eye Louis Page as Rashford returns to camp
Across Manchester, United are plotting their own midfield succession plan. Leicester teenager Louis Page has emerged as a leading target, with United hopeful of striking a deal for the 18-year-old.
They are not alone. Arsenal are also in the race, but Page is believed to favour a move to Old Trafford, a stance that has encouraged United as talks develop. For a club that has been criticised for muddled recruitment, this is a rare chance to get ahead of a rival in the market for a highly rated young midfielder.
While United work on Page, an older story takes a fresh turn. Marcus Rashford has rejoined the squad at their County Kildare training camp following a post-World Cup break, returning to a club where his future has rarely felt more uncertain.
The 28-year-old has spent the last season and a half away from Old Trafford, on loan at Barcelona and Aston Villa, after a breakdown in his relationship with a club executive and former head coach Ruben Amorim. That rift effectively pushed him out of the door.
Now the mood has shifted. Relations have eased and Rashford is focused on working under Michael Carrick, the current manager. He is back, training, talking about the season ahead. Yet the possibility of a departure before the end of the window still hangs over him.
City reshaping a title-winning midfield, Barcelona circling Rodri, United chasing Page while Rashford fights for his place in the story – the summer market is doing what it always does. It is tearing up old certainties and asking a simple question: who will be brave enough to build something new?
