Not Enzo Fernández: Man City already have Rodri's replacement | OneFootball

For weeks, the name Enzo Fernández was the one most often heard in the corridors of Manchester City. The Argentine, who reached the final of the 2026 World Cup and whom coach Enzo Maresca knows inside out from their time together at Chelsea, was the priority. The plan seemed set. But the transfer market has a logic of its own, and City have just completed the signing of a midfielder who, only a few months ago, had not yet made his World Cup debut.

The chosen one is Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, a standout for Morocco at the World Cup and a key prospect for Lille. According to European media, the agreement on the midfielder’s personal terms was sealed a few days ago, and the deal — which had initially been projected for 2027 — was brought forward. The total cost will be around 100 million euros (about USD 116 million).

Rodri’s move to Barcelona left a gap that City needed to fill urgently. The Premier League starts in a week, and Maresca was explicit about it in the press conference after the defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield final: “The sooner he arrives, without a doubt, the better, because we start the Premier League in a week. If they start training with us as soon as possible, even better, because that way they can understand how we want to play,” the Italian coach said.

On Fernández, Maresca was deliberately tight-lipped. The coach managed him at Chelsea and holds him in high regard, but when the press pushed him with a direct question about the possibility of his arrival, the response left no room for doubt: “At this moment I have to give you the same answer as from day one, which will always be the same. He is a player from another club, and I don’t think it is right to talk about other players,” he said. The Argentine, who was booed by Chelsea fans days ago after his flirtation with City, will remain at Stamford Bridge for now at least. He had been valued at 160 million dollars by his current club.

Bouaddi’s profile explains, in part, why the club decided to change course. The Moroccan is 1.85 meters tall and combines physicality, tactical intelligence, and a reading of the game that is striking for someone his age. His greatest strength lies in how he manages the ball: he plays with natural ease and assurance in the center circle, and he anticipates situations before they develop. Those qualities made him one of Lille’s standout players in recent years and, later, one of the most closely watched players at the 2026 World Cup.

Bouaddi’s maturity stands in contrast to his 18 years. His personality on and off the pitch puts him in a place unusual for someone just breaking into the elite of European football. Added to that is the fact that he still has room for physical development, which turns the 100 million euro investment into a bet City intend to back over the long term.

With the agreement practically done, Manchester City have thus resolved one of the biggest questions of the summer transfer window in England: who could step into the role left by Rodri without the difference being too noticeable.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.