Manchester City are closing in on signing Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, with the midfielder’s expected arrival clearing the path for Rodri to join Barcelona.
The 18-year-old has agreed personal terms with City but the club are still finalising the deal with his French club Lille, who value Bouaddi at around €100m (£85m).
City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, is believed to want to integrate the Moroccan into his first-team squad immediately for the new season. City meet Arsenal in the Community Shield this Sunday before opening their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on 23 August.
Barcelona are confident of landing Rodri from City but will have to return with an improved offer following an initial €45m bid which was rejected last week. The sale of Ferran Torres, who is of interest to Paris Saint-Germain, would finance Rodri’s purchase. City are all but resigned to the sale of the 30-year-old, who has a year left on his contract.
If the Bouaddi deal can be completed he would join Elliot Anderson, who arrived earlier in the summer from Nottingham Forest for £116m, in Maresca’s new-look midfield, which has also lost the experience of Bernardo Silva this summer.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are interested in Leicester’s coveted teenager Louis Page.
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United, who face competition from Arsenal, are hopeful of a deal for the 18-year-midfielder, with Page believed to favour a transfer to Old Trafford.