A busy week ahead at the Etihad
It is shaping up to be a defining week in Manchester City's summer, with the club expecting to complete a record-breaking teenage signing while a move for a Chelsea midfielder hinges entirely on what happens with Rodri.
According to TEAMtalk, the Blues hope and expect to wrap up a deal for Lille's Ayyoud Bouaddi within days. The 18-year-old Moroccan would cost around £85m, making him the most expensive teenager in football history.
That is a significant outlay, but City have made it clear to Bouaddi that they want him now, not next summer. Lille had been trying to convince the midfielder to stay in France for another season, possibly with a loan-back arrangement, but the Premier League side have told him he is wanted immediately.
Crucially, the club see Bouaddi as a first-team player, not a project for the academy or the fringes. And his arrival, it is understood, will happen regardless of whether Rodri leaves.
The Rodri question
That is just as well, because the noises around Rodri grow louder by the day. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that new contacts have taken place between Barcelona and City, and that the deal is expected to exceed €60m.
“The negotiation is moving, it is advancing very well,” Romano said. “For sure, the deal is going to be more than €60 million.”
City were never going to accept the €45m or €50m figures initially floated, and all parties are confident of finding an agreement. The expectation is that Rodri heads to Barcelona while Ferran Torres moves to PSG.
Should that happen, City are ready to launch an offer for Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. Fernandez is said to be keen on reuniting with Enzo Maresca, and the only remaining obstacle is Chelsea's reported £120m asking price.
It is a lot of moving parts for one window, but City have rarely been busier. Bouaddi looks close; Fernandez, at this stage, is a waiting game.