Man City ‘pushing hard’ to sign Bouaddi and Chelsea star in £145m double deal with 11-man clearout planned

Manchester City are ready to ramp up their quest to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in the coming days and will not be dissuaded by a new, sky-high asking price for the teenager, with Rodri and Nico Gonzalez on an 11-player list of players who could move on this summer, per a trusted source.

The Cityzens are preparing for a new era under Enzo Maresca and are determined to give him a squad capable of wrestling the Premier League title back off Arsenal, amid what has now been a three-year gap since they last were crowned champions of England.

And while Manchester City have already signed off on the club-record £116m signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, sporting director Hugo Viana knows their midfield may likely need additional arrivals – particularly amid speculation that suggests Rodri could yet depart for Real Madrid this summer.

As TEAMtalk revealed on July 3, City are among a clutch of clubs taking a strong interest in Lille star Bouaddi, who enjoyed an excellent World Cup with quarter-finalists, Morocco.

Bouaddi, the 18-year-old midfielder, was already well known by keen observers in Europe and beyond following another excellent campaign with the Ligue 1 side, where he has already racked up 96 senior appearances.

While a host of top clubs had been closely monitoring his progress, The Athletic now reports that his mature performances at the World Cup has seen several sides now cranking up their efforts to sign him.

And per reporters Sam Lee and David Ornstein, 10-time Premier League champions City are now ‘pushing hard’ to bring the teenager to the Etihad this summer.

They claim they have received encouragement that a deal is there to be done, though Lille – as reported last week – are now setting a price in the region of €100million (£85m; $114m) to secure a deal.

And while the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and PSG are all attentive to a possible deal, it is City who are not ramping up their efforts to sign him – wanting him as a second new signing for their engine room this summer.

Helping them to fund his signing, and that of a second target in Chelsea’s £60m-rated right-back Malo Gusto, is a planned exodus of players, with up to 10 players on the chopping block at the Etihad…

READ MORE: Lille president demands new, sky-high Bouaddi price as two Prem deals set record benchmark

Man City transfers: 11 players could leave this summer

As we revealed last week, there are clubs open to doing a deal now and allowing Bouaddi to continue developing at Lille for another season, loaning him back to the French side until 2027.

However, City’s need for Bouaddi is here and now, and they believe a partnership with Anderson in central midfield would give them a solid foundation in which to challenge on multiple fronts next season and beyond.

Indeed, following the departure of Bernardo Silva and amid lingering doubts over Rodri – who continues to attract interest from Real Madrid – the central midfield continues to be an area of particular focus for Viana, who considered Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali before he joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Rodri’s current deal is due to expire in June 2027, and while they have offered him fresh terms, the player is yet to make up his mind and is expected to reveal his decision upon the conclusion of Spain’s World Cup campaign, as his nation prepares for Tuesday night’s epic semi-final against France.

In addition to him, The Athletic reports there is also speculation over the futures of Nico Gonzalez, Mateo Kovacic and Tijjani Reijnders – the first two of whom are considered ‘likely departures’.

In addition, goalkeeper James Trafford will get the green light to move on, while Ruben Dias has had interest from Real Madrid. Per the report, there is uncertainty around Omar Marmoush and Tijjani Reijnders, while Savinho – heavily linked with Tottenham – is another who could leave.

Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish will be moved on if the right options come along, though they would not necessarily need to be replaced, as they have not been part of the squad.

On the incoming front, and in addition to Bouaddi, City remain ‘big admirers of Chelsea’s Gusto’, though his £60m price tag is considered prohibitively high.

However, they at least have a buy-in from the player over the proposed transfer, despite claims City may feel they have no choice but to walk away.

With regards to Marmoush, City are ready to hold what sources describe as crunch talks over the Egyptian’s future, with two Premier League sides keen on a possible £60m deal.

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