Manchester City are in advanced talks to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for around £85 million, with the club making clear he is not being recruited as a direct replacement for Rodri. That distinction shapes the deal because Rodri, a defensive midfielder, is leaving for Barcelona for £65.4 million after seven seasons at the Etihad, ending a transfer saga that saw Barcelona raise bids from €45 million to around €60 million before City accepted a third offer. Rodri completed his medical in Barcelona around August 16, 2026, and called the return to Spain a dream. Bouaddi brings a strong profile despite the size of the fee, having made 88 senior appearances for Lille and attracting attention with Morocco at the 2026 World Cup. City appear to view him as part of a more flexible midfield build rather than a like-for-like successor, although Lille's push for a loan-back arrangement, meaning the player would return to the French club for a further spell after the transfer, remains a point in negotiations. The spending also fits the club's wider summer outlay after Elliot Anderson arrived from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £116 million, while Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez is also under consideration at roughly £120 million. City have also lost Tijjani Reijnders, leaving them short two midfielders of that caliber in the same window.