Man City start talks for a surprise Rodri replacement, whom Pep Guardiola called ‘an amazing player’
Manchester City have started talks about adding a new midfielder, following Rodri’s big move to Barcelona.
Earlier this summer, City spent a club-record £115 million to sign Elliot Anderson, their main new signing so far. But with Rodri’s £65.4 million transfer to Barcelona confirmed, there’s a big gap in their midfield.
Rodri’s exit is a huge change for the team and comes after Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders also left, leaving City light in the middle of the park.
David Ornstein from The Athletic recently shared that Nico Gonzalez might be on the move too, with Newcastle showing interest after losing Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.
While Mateo Kovacic is staying and even played in the Community Shield, City still need more midfield players.
Journalist Nicolo Shira says City are interested in Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and have started talks with the club. Scott got his first call-up to the England squad last November and has become one of the Premier League’s most exciting midfielders. Other top teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs, and Chelsea have also shown interest.
Scott’s contract with Bournemouth runs until 2028, and the club want to keep him for their European campaign this season. He’s thought to be worth around £80 million and doesn’t have a release clause.
Last season, Scott played 37 Premier League games as Bournemouth finished sixth, impressing under manager Andoni Iraola. City have known about Scott for a while, having faced him in the FA Cup when he was just 20 years old playing for Bristol City. Pep Guardiola even called Scott an “unbelievable player” in a press conference, something Scott described as “amazing” in an interview.
City’s main midfield target remains Lille’s 18-year-old star Ayyoub Bouaddi. He’s already made 63 Ligue 1 appearances and stood out at the World Cup playing for Morocco. Bouaddi switched from France just before the tournament and helped Morocco reach the quarter-finals. Often compared to Sergio Busquets and Patrick Vieira, City’s move for him seems to be going well, with a fee around £85 million expected.
They were also linked with Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, but City may have been put off by Chelsea raising his price to over £120 million.
City’s new Premier League season starts this Sunday at the Etihad Stadium with a home game against Bournemouth, marking the start of their post-Guardiola era.