The second-most important midfielder in Manchester City’s history is heading to Barcelona.
Rodri’s exit is coming.
And Enzo Maresca isn’t waiting around to find his replacement.
Personal terms have been agreed with an 18-year-old who controlled games for Morocco at a World Cup.
And the deal is close to being done.
Manchester City agree personal terms with Ayyoub Bouaddi as Rodri’s Barcelona move clears path for £85m Lille signing
According to The Guardian, Manchester City have agreed personal terms with Bouaddi, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the player wants to join immediately rather than wait until 2027, and the club now finalising the club-to-club agreement with Lille over a fee in the region of £85 million.
The timing tells its own story.
Barcelona had an initial €45 million offer for Rodri rejected last week.
An improved bid is expected imminently.
And Manchester City are planning accordingly; Bouaddi’s arrival accelerating the entire process of transition in central midfield.
Losing Rodri is the most significant departure the club has faced since Guardiola himself walked out of the Etihad.
Seven years.
A World Cup winner.
A Ballon d’Or.
A player who made City play differently simply by being on the pitch.
Replacing that is not possible in any conventional sense.
But Bouaddi represents the most compelling available answer.
Five starts for Morocco at the World Cup.
Performances against Brazil and France that drew comparisons few 18-year-olds ever earn, and the youngest player ever to appear in a current UEFA club competition.
Arsenal wanted him.
Yet, Manchester City moved fastest. And most decisively.
The personal terms are done.
And the fee is the only remaining obstacle between City and the player they believe will define their midfield for the next decade.
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