Manchester City have reportedly agreed terms with Ayyoub Bouaddi and are in advanced talks with Lille over a potential £86m transfer deal.
The talented young Morocco international is one of the most exciting talents in Europe's big five leagues at the moment, and looks like an ideal long-term replacement for Man City star Rodri.
According to reports, City are in advanced negotiations over signing Bouaddi for around £86m, but it still needs to be determined if the 18-year-old will move to the Etihad Stadium straight away or spend one more season in Ligue 1.
Bouaddi's signing could be closely linked with Rodri's future, with some reports suggesting that a deal for the Moroccan midfielder could lead to Rodri leaving City for Real Madrid.
Rodri has been a tremendous servant to City down the years, playing 298 games for the club and winning multiple major honours, including the club's famous treble in 2022/23.
However, the Spain international also just won the World Cup with his country this summer, so these will be very big boots for Bouaddi or anyone else to fill, and it might be that spending one more season with Lille is the best thing for his development.
City also have new signing Elliot Anderson in midfield, so it won't just fall on Bouaddi to be Rodri's successor, and he's still at such an early stage in his career anyway that there's plenty of time for him to develop into a world class player.
New manager Enzo Maresca will face a big challenge in inheriting a squad that is undergoing significant changes, with Rodri's potential departure making things harder for the Italian coach.
Maresca would surely benefit from inheriting a settled squad with an experienced leader like Rodri in it, but the team will be very different in the 2026/27 season, and that makes it harder to predict if the club can continue to enjoy the success of the last decade.
