Manchester City Set to Sign Bouaddi as Rodri Departure Affects Liverpool

Liverpool’s summer rebuild is gathering pace, but one intriguing midfield option is slipping away – and into the hands of a direct Premier League rival.

Rodri’s move to Barcelona has triggered a chain reaction at Manchester City, and Liverpool are feeling the impact. With the Spaniard heading to Camp Nou, City have accelerated their push for Ayyoub Bouaddi, a player who had been on Liverpool’s radar after a standout World Cup campaign for Morocco.

City close in as Liverpool watch on

Bouaddi, just 18, had emerged as a serious long-term midfield candidate for Liverpool. His performances on the biggest stage marked him out as one of Europe’s most exciting young midfielders, and his profile fit the kind of forward-thinking recruitment Liverpool have leaned into in recent windows.

But, according to Fabrizio Romano, City are now closing in on a deal to bring him to the Etihad in the coming days. Personal terms are already agreed. The only uncertainty lies in the agreement between Manchester City and Lille, with reports suggesting the fee could soar beyond $100 million.

Earlier suggestions out of France indicated Lille wanted Bouaddi back on loan for a year. That idea appears to have been shelved. Romano reports that City intend to bring him in immediately to strengthen Enzo Maresca’s options, adding another high-profile name to a midfield that already includes the $157 million signing of Elliot Anderson earlier in the window.

For Liverpool, it removes one more name from an increasingly selective shortlist.

Liverpool’s priorities lie elsewhere – for now

Andoni Iraola’s first significant reshaping of the Liverpool squad has, so far, focused on the back line and the flanks.

Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo have arrived at Anfield seeking greater minutes and a bigger role, bolstering a defence that needed both depth and a fresh edge. Up front, Victor Munoz has joined the forward line, while Liverpool continue to pursue PSG pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, both capable of operating on either wing.

Only once the wide areas are addressed is the club expected to turn fully to midfield. That timing matters. Bouaddi’s move to City underlines how quickly elite midfield talent can vanish from the market.

Even so, Iraola is not short of options in the middle of the park. On paper, this is one of the better-stocked departments in the squad, but it is also one that could look very different in a year’s time.

Midfield secure today, questions tomorrow

Curtis Jones is widely expected to leave, and uncertainty around Alexis Mac Allister’s contract situation lingers in the background. Those two factors have kept Liverpool alert to emerging midfield opportunities, Bouaddi among them.

Inside the club, there is also growing belief in what is already there.

Trey Nyoni’s breakthrough last season has carried into an eye-catching preseason, and he is positioning himself as a genuine long-term option at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield. His rise, combined with the long-term commitments to Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Florian Wirtz, gives Iraola a core capable of anchoring the side for years.

That security is why missing out on Bouaddi will sting, but not trigger panic.

The picture could look very different next summer. If Mac Allister enters the final year of his deal, Liverpool may be forced into a more aggressive midfield rebuild. By then, though, Bouaddi will almost certainly be wearing sky blue, not red.

And if he flourishes under Maresca at City, Liverpool may spend the coming seasons wondering whether this was the one that got away.