Manchester City to Sign Ayyoub Bouaddi Amid Rodri's Exit

Liverpool’s window is edging forward in careful steps. Manchester City’s, by contrast, has just taken a giant leap – and it could cost Andoni Iraola one of the more intriguing midfield options on the market.

Rodri’s move to Barcelona has triggered the kind of chain reaction that usually defines a summer. City needed a new long‑term pillar in the middle of the pitch. Ayyoub Bouaddi has been chosen as that man.

The 18-year-old, who caught the eye with Morocco at the World Cup, had been tracked by Liverpool as a possible future addition. Instead, according to Fabrizio Romano, he is now closing in on a switch to the Etihad in the coming days, with personal terms already agreed. The only detail still under wraps is the agreement between Manchester City and Lille, with reports suggesting the fee could soar beyond $100 million.

Earlier in the window, suggestions from France indicated Lille wanted Bouaddi back on loan for a year to continue his development. That idea has been parked. Romano reports the midfielder will join City immediately, dropping straight into Enzo Maresca’s squad, which has already been reinforced by the $157 million signing of Elliot Anderson.

For Liverpool, it removes a name from a list that was already more “future planning” than “emergency surgery”.

Defensive Reinforcements

Iraola’s main work so far has come elsewhere. At the back, Liverpool have moved decisively, with Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo arriving at Anfield in search of more minutes and a bigger stage. Both deals speak to a clear attempt to refresh and deepen a defence that needed new energy.

Forward Line Adjustments

Up front, the recruitment drive has been equally pointed. Victor Munoz has joined the forward line, and Liverpool remain active in the wide areas, with PSG pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye both under serious consideration. The duo can operate on either flank, giving Iraola the kind of flexibility modern front threes demand.

Only once that wide rebuild is resolved is the club expected to truly turn its gaze to central midfield. On paper, it is one of the better-stocked departments in the squad. In reality, there are fault lines.

Curtis Jones is widely expected to move on, while Alexis Mac Allister’s contract situation still hangs in the air. Those two factors have kept Liverpool’s recruitment team alert to opportunities in the middle of the pitch, even if the need is not as urgent as in defence or out wide.

Bouaddi fell into that “opportunity” category: young, high ceiling, already tested on the biggest international stage. Losing him to a direct Premier League rival will sting, especially if he settles quickly and grows into Rodri’s heir in Manchester.

Yet Liverpool are not short of emerging talent of their own.

Trey Nyoni’s breakthrough last season has been one of the more encouraging storylines at Anfield. His sharp, confident preseason has only strengthened the sense that he can grow into a long-term presence at the heart of Iraola’s midfield.

Around him, the club has already locked in its core. Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz are all tied down on long-term deals, giving Liverpool a powerful, technical, and relatively young engine room to build around.

That structure buys time. It allows Liverpool to miss out on a Bouaddi without ripping up their plans. The real pressure point may not come now, but a year from now.

If Mac Allister enters the final 12 months of his contract next summer, the conversation changes. Decisions will have to be made, and the market will look very different. One thing, though, is already clear: when that moment arrives, Ayyoub Bouaddi will not be one of the names on Liverpool’s list.