Manchester City could spend £200m on two stars of the World Cup this summer and still be faced with midfield questions.
Record Signing and New Target
The Blues have already broken their club record to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a £116million deal. And City are also keen on Ayoubb Bouaddi, who has impressed this summer for Morocco with a clutch of top clubs interested in the teenager.
The Lille midfielder has showcased his ability but the French side are seeking an £85million deal for the 18-year-old, although there is the possibility of that figure being negotiated down, particularly if the buying club allow him to remain at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for next season.
Bouaddi's Potential
The midfielder has impressed at the World Cup with his attacking instincts, work-rate and ability to impose himself on the biggest stage. He made his debut for Lille at just 16 and produced a stellar showing when the French club beat Real Madrid in the Champions League on his 17th birthday.
He is a box-to-box player, and while he has yet to score a senior goal, this is a player whose ceiling is high and whose potential has not yet been realised. Bouaddi, who is a grounded individual away from the pitch, a professional who has an interest in maths and a dedication to his sport, has shown he can cut it in one of Europe's top five leagues and there is nothing to suggest he couldn't perform in the Premier League.
Midfield Conundrum
For City, he could be the perfect long-term foil to Anderson in the midfield, particularly with uncertainty around the long-term future of Rodri. The Spain international would surely be first choice to partner Anderson in Enzo Maresca's midfield but the 30-year-old is set to undergo surgery on an injury after the World Cup and is unlikely to feature in the opening weeks of the campaign. He is also out of contract in 12 months and has continued to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Bouaddi could offer a solution, but finding someone capable of consistently stepping into City's midfield has proven problematic in recent years, an issue which has now been exacerbated by Bernardo Silva's departure. The former captain was a trusted lieutenant of Pep Guardiola but has joined Real Madrid and left a sizeable hole to fill.
Past Midfield Investments
The Blues have tried to forward plan for this moment and 18 months ago splashed £50million on Nico Gonzalez from Porto. He is still only 24 but after appearing to make his mark on Guardiola in the first half of last season, he featured sporadically as the campaign wore on and there remains speculation about his future at the Etihad.
City then spent £46.3million on Netherlands international Tijjani Reijnders last summer. The 27-year-old was superb on debut at Wolves, crowning a masterful performance with a wonderful goal, but he has struggled to consistently recapture those levels. His versatility saw him make 19 league starts last season but he never quite felt nailed on in the XI.
And while the Dutchman seems set to stay at City this summer, he has work to do to prove himself to be the long-term answer to what has been a growing problem in the middle of the park.
Further Spending and Gamble
The Blues have spent big on midfielders in recent years - we've not even got into the £53million splashed on Matheus Nunes in 2023, with the Portugal international having subsequently converted successfully to right back - or the £42million spent on Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United in 2022, a player who has fallen so far down the pecking order at City that he spent the second half of last season struggling on loan at Championship side Sheffield United. City also spent £25million on Mateo Kovacic three years ago.
Bouaddi has the potential to finally solve a long-term issue, but a big fee for a player so young still represents a gamble. Whether City manage to get a deal over the line is still far from certain, but should they close out a move they will hope it is the last significant signing for a position that has become a recurring issue in recent years.
