Rodri closes in on Real Madrid move as Man City agreement for Bouaddi confirmed

Updated: 30 Jul 2026 13:01 BST | 4 min read

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

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Rodri is poised to leave Manchester City and join Real Madrid, with the Premier League side already having a blockbuster agreement in place for the World Cup winner’s replacement.

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Despite initial reservations, Real Madrid are set to announce a deal for Rodri imminently, with the midfielder having pushed for a move to his homeland.

On the other hand, City have ‘practically finalised’ a deal to sign 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in an operation that could set the Premier League side back upwards of €100 million.

Compared

Rodri

DM, M (C)

Man City

Rodri

DM, M (C)

Man City

VS

Ayyoub Bouaddi

M, DM (C)

Lille

Ayyoub Bouaddi

M, DM (C)

Lille

€65.8M	ETV	€48.4M
€59.2M - €72.4M	ETV Range	€43.5M - €53.2M
30 years old (22 Jun, 1996)	Age	18 years old (02 Oct, 2007)
Spain	Nationality	France

Rodri deal finalised soon

Jose Mourinho has been pushing for Real Madrid to sign Rodri, with president Florentino Perez initially a sceptic of the deal.

AS reports that the move is accelerating and could even be “finalised” after a meeting on Thursday.

Personal terms have already been agreed between the player and Real Madrid are now working on negotiations with the Premier League side, with Los Blancos confident of sealing a deal around the €40-50 million mark.

Spanish reports suggest the total cost of the deal – including Rodri’s contract – will cost Real Madrid ‘approximately €100m’.

© IMAGO - Rodri: The best player at the 2026 World Cup

Man City strike Bouaddi deal

Manchester City are ready to spend the same on Bouaddi, who has been outlined as Enzo Maresca’s dream replacement for the Spaniard.

FootMercato states that an agreement between City and Ligue 1 side Lille is close for the teenager and the English side are seeking to ‘finalise the deal quickly’. The player has already committed himself to moving to Manchester.

While no transfer fee has been reported, Lille president Olivier Letang has pinned Bouaddi’s valuation against that of Elliot Anderson, who City signed for £116m (€135m) from Nottingham Forest.

City are therefore expected to pay more than €100m for a player regarded as one of the hottest up-and-coming young talents in world football.

A deal is ‘practically completed’ although Lille are pushing to have Bouaddi back at the club on loan for another season. This is said to be the final sticking point, but the aim for both teams is for a swift conclusion to the matter.

Why Bouaddi is Man City’s long-term replacement for Rodri

Bouaddi may not be at Rodri’s level yet, the France-born midfielder is regarded as a natural heir to the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.

He possesses the same game intelligence as the City captain, controlling the tempo of matches with smart passes, even when under pressure. A wiry and tenacious midfielder, he is also appreciated for his work rate.

© IMAGO - Ayyoub Bouaddi v Rodri, Career Development

Data analytics firm SciSports gives Bouaddi a potential SciSkill score of 132.3. There are currently only four players in the world with a higher figure, which is calculated using hundreds of in-game data points. Included in this number of Manchester City’s very own Erling Haaland (136.2).