Manchester City Transfer News: Citizens eye Rodri replacement as Spanish star nears Barca switch

Sunday delivered a chastening few hours for those of a Manchester City persuasion.

Enzo Maresca’s outfit succumbed to a 3-0 Community Shield defeat at the hands of Arsenal, before reports emerged that Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign World Cup winner Rodri from the Citizens.

That deal is set to net last season’s Premier League runners-up £64.6 million including all bonuses, but will further expose City’s midfield deficiencies.

Those were clear to see at the Principality Stadium as Arsenal asserted their physical dominance in a comprehensive victory, with their opponents looking disjointed in the centre of the park.

It is a display that will surely prompt further transfer activity at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of a potentially tricky top-flight opener against Bournemouth next weekend.

But how exactly will City strengthen their engine room, to compensate for Rodri’s impending departure?

Bouaddi deal on the brink of completion

Manchester City tend to be a well-oiled machine on the transfer front – and that is reflected in their preparations for losing Rodri.

The side from M11 are already closing in on a replacement, in the form of teenage sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Though not quite a like-for-like alternative to the Spain international, Bouaddi can take his place at the base of midfield and dictate play from deep positions.

He is set to cost the Citizens around £85 million, though that looks like a relative bargain for an 18-year-old who could provide years of service.

And despite his relative youth, the prodigious playmaker has already proven that he can perform on the biggest stage for both Morocco and French club Lille.

Five starts at the 2026 World Cup capped off a campaign that saw Bouaddi amass 42 club appearances across all competitions, including ten Europa League matches with Les Dogues.

However, if we focus exclusively on Ligue 1, his defensive acumen is immediately evident.

The eight-cap international ranked inside the division’s top 25 players for total tackles with 59, while placing 13th for possession regains in the middle third.

He can also drive forward with the ball at his feet, completing a particularly credible 34 take-ons over the season.

Bouaddi has impressive pedigree, then, but there will be a reluctance to place too much weight on his young shoulders.

With that in mind, City may well want to recruit a more experienced midfield option, to alleviate any pressure on the Senlis native as he adapts to the Premier League’s unique rigours.

Fernández reunion on the cards for Maresca?

Though Manchester City have already splashed an eye-watering £116million on Elliot Anderson this summer, the likely departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah – alongside Bernardo Silva’s move to Real Madrid – has potentially opened up another midfield slot at the Etihad Stadium.

Reijnders is a more forward-thinking player than either Anderson or Bouaddi, so it is perhaps unsurprising that his potential replacement falls into the same bracket.

Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández is the name being most strongly linked, despite the Blues setting a self-imposed deadline of 5pm BST last Friday for any bids.

No offer was received by the West Londoners, but that doesn’t mean City won’t try their luck with a bid later in the window – especially once they have the money for Rodri and Reijnders in the bank.

It will take a significant fee of around £120 million to prise the Argentina international away from Stamford Bridge, though Fernández’s difficult relationship with the Chelsea faithful may help expedite an exit.

He was jeered by sections of the crowd when coming off the bench in Saturday’s 3-1 friendly win against Real Sociedad, after appearing to indicate a desire to join Real Madrid earlier this summer.

That move now looks unlikely, but a switch to City could definitely be on the cards – and it’s not hard to see why former Blues boss Maresca would want a reunion with the 25-year-old.

After all, he contributed ten goals and four assists in the Premier League alone last season, with only two players (Bruno Fernandes and Dominik Szoboszlai) conjuring more chances than his total of 68.

Fernández was constantly trying to pick the lock for Chelsea, registering the third-highest number of attempted through-balls in the division (25) and ranking in the league’s top-five players for attempted passes into the final third (743).

On the evidence of Sunday’s showing in the Community Shield, City could do with some of those qualities to join up their midfield and attack over the coming season.

Surprise Mac Allister move?

If Manchester City aren’t able to complete a deal for Fernández, they could end up targeting one of his international team-mates.

That is if reports of potential interest in Alexis Mac Allister are to be believed, amid suggestions the Liverpool man is on the Citizens’ wish list.

Mac Allister is coming off the back of a challenging season at Anfield and is entering the final two years of his current contract – increasing the likelihood that both the player and the club could countenance a move.

We are also yet to see how the 27-year-old will fit into new manager Andoni Iraola’s system, as he aims to implement his high-intensity approach on Merseyside.

From City’s perspective, they can look back at Mac Allister’s form in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, when he amassed ten top-flight goal contributions (five goals and five assists) in each of those campaigns.

A return to those heights would provide a welcome boost to their midfield, while his positional versatility could make him a useful option in multiple central roles.

An approach for Liverpool’s No.10 perhaps feels less likely than a deal for Fernández this summer, but the proven Premier League performer may be a smart acquisition if a deal can be done with their long-standing rivals.