Manchester City pay a huge fee of €100 million for Rodri successor

Manchester City have found Rodri's successor after his move to FC Barcelona. The English giants have reached a full agreement with Lille OSC for Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the deal worth up to €100 million including bonuses.

Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport broke the news, reporting that both clubs are now in full agreement over the transfer. Bouaddi will not feature for Lille against Angers because of his impending move.

Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed that the deal is completely done and delivered his trademark "here we go". According to the transfer expert, Lille have given the green light for the sale and the total transfer package could rise to €100 million through bonuses.

The player had already agreed terms with Manchester City some time ago. The 18-year-old midfielder reached an agreement on his personal terms in July.

City needed a new key force in midfield this summer after Rodri left for Barcelona. According to Spanish media, the Catalan club paid around €76.5 million including bonuses for the 30-year-old Spaniard, who had grown into one of Manchester's defining players since 2019.

He made almost 300 appearances for City and won, among other honours, four league titles and the Champions League. In 2024, he also won the Ballon d'Or.

Interest from Manchester City had been building for some time. At the end of July, reports said talks with Lille had moved to the next phase and that a transfer fee of €70 million to €80 million was under discussion, while Arsenal and Manchester United had also previously been in contact with his entourage.

Bouaddi was still under contract with Lille until mid-2029 and became a regular last season. The Morocco international, who made a big impression at the last World Cup, made 42 appearances in total for the French club and will go down as the most expensive sale in Lille's club history.