Man City is now ‘close’ to making their biggest signing under Enzo Maresca, as the manager shares that talks are happening.
Manchester City is reportedly close to landing a big signing, one of Enzo Maresca’s main summer targets.
Their season starts early, as they face Arsenal in the Community Shield this Sunday at Wembley. The Premier League then kicks off next weekend, with Arsenal—this year’s champions—playing newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.
The Community Shield comes amid lots of transfer talk for both teams, especially Manchester City. Midfielder Rodri is nearly set to move to Barcelona, with reports saying the clubs are just €10 million apart on the deal. It’s possible the transfer could happen as soon as Monday. Rodri, who just returned from his World Cup win with Spain, probably wouldn’t have played on Sunday anyway.
City has been looking for a Rodri replacement but decided not to pay Chelsea’s £120 million asking price for Enzo Fernandez, who’s been linked with a move. Fernandez was even booed by some Chelsea fans when he came on during a friendly against Real Sociedad, so it looks like he’ll stay put for now.
One player closer to leaving Lille is 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed at the World Cup for Morocco. Early in the transfer window, many clubs showed interest—some wanted to loan him back to Lille, while others wanted him right away.
City wants Bouaddi immediately as a possible Rodri replacement. His price is about £85 million, which is lower than the £116 million City paid for Elliot Anderson last year. Given how important replacing Rodri is, signing Bouaddi is a big deal for the club.
French paper Ouest-France says Bouaddi is “close” to joining City. After Lille’s friendly against Everton, where Bouaddi played 45 minutes, manager Davide Ancelotti opened up about his future. “He was ready to play and got 45 minutes,” Ancelotti told reporters. “But that’s also because I need to manage his time. There are definitely talks happening. Many clubs want him. He’s a really good player, and I hope he stays for now.”