Manchester City are in advanced negotiations with Lille to sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the Premier League club eager to finalise the deal this week following their agreement to sell Rodri to Barcelona.

Lille are believed to value the 18-year-old at 100 million euros (£85.6m), making this a landmark transaction for one of European football's most exciting young talents.

A deep-lying maestro in the Rodri mould

Bouaddi operates as a deep-lying playmaker — a profile strikingly similar to Rodri's — and would slot alongside summer arrival Elliot Anderson, who brings a more box-to-box dynamic to City's midfield.

The teenager first turned heads in the UEFA Champions League when Lille defeated Real Madrid in 2024, and he cemented his reputation at this summer's World Cup, starting all five of Morocco's matches as they advanced to the last 16.

Since making his Lille debut in October 2023 — three days after his 16th birthday — Bouaddi has gone on to make 88 appearances for the club, contributing to their third-place finish in Ligue 1 last season.

Rodri's exit to Barcelona

Spain captain Rodri is set to complete a £65m move to Barcelona on a four-year contract in the coming days. The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner spent seven trophy-laden seasons at City after arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club-record £62.8m, accumulating 298 appearances in that time.

Injuries hampered the 30-year-old across the past two campaigns — a serious knee problem kept him out for much of 2024-25, while a hamstring issue disrupted portions of the preceding season. Nevertheless, Rodri returned to his finest form at the World Cup this summer, captaining Spain to their second world title and earning the player of the tournament award.

Enzo Fernandez interest remains

The potential arrival of Bouaddi may reshape City's transfer priorities, but well-placed sources indicate that manager Enzo Maresca continues to hold a strong interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. Whether City ultimately pursue both the Argentina midfielder and Bouaddi remains to be seen.