Manchester City might have already agreed a club record deal for a new midfielder but that doesn’t mean they won’t strengthen further in the middle of the park.
Elliot Anderson’s £116million move will be confirmed in the coming days with the 23-year-old signing from Nottingham Forest.
Midfield is a major area that City are looking to invest in this summer and Anderson’s arrival will help fill the void created by Bernardo Silva’s departure after nine years at the club.
City could add another blockbuster arrival in the middle of the park. The Blues are interested in several midfielders and chief among them are Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali or Lille and Morocco prospect Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The choice facing City when looking at Bouaddi or Tonali is potential vs impact. The latter has proven himself in the Premier League for Newcastle, producing consistent performances in the Premier League and Champions League.
The Italian could slot straight into the City first team with very few concerns about his ability to cope with the style under Enzo Maresca or the intensity of the division.
His passing range and positional sense make him an attractive option while he has the ability to produce all-round displays in the middle of the park. He still needs to develop a goalscoring instinct to his game – having failed to score in the Premier League last term – but he is a combative and classy operator.
Newcastle are seeking £100million for his services and Tottenham had an opening bid rejected. Spurs have now struck a deal for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes but are still reportedly monitoring Tonali and may well move closer to Newcastle’s asking price for a player who is quiet and unassuming off the pitch but possesses the tenacity and temperament required at the highest level on it.
Bouaddi, meanwhile, has risen to prominence at this World Cup, becoming a breakout star of a likeable Morocco side who are into the last-16 four years on from reaching the semi-finals.
The teenager’s performances have prompted plenty of speculation linking the Lille midfielder with some of the Europe’s biggest clubs and City are keen on the 19-year-old.
But a price tag of £85million means any deal will be expensive, even if there is a suggestion that the French side would lower that figure if Bouaddi returned on loan for the 2026-27 campaign.
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 as a highly rated academy prospect and was magnificent when the French side beat Real Madrid in the Champions League on his 17th birthday.
He’s always been marked out as one for the top of the game and has the box-to-box ability that could thrive in the Premier League. He’s yet to develop a goalscoring instinct, having failed to score for club or country at senior level, but this is a player whose ceiling is high and whose potential has not yet been realised.
He’s proven himself capable in one of Europe’s top five leagues and while a move to England would be a sizeable step up, there’s nothing to suggest the teenager couldn’t handle it. He’s also a grounded individual away from the pitch, a professional who has an interest in maths and a dedication to his sport.
The decision between them rests on that crucial question of the here and now or the future. But given Anderson is arriving as a readymade Premier League performer, Bouaddi looks the better bet, particularly if City can negotiate the fee down, allow him to remain at Lille on loan and then integrate him into the first team picture. The Morocco man has shown at the World Cup he was it takes and looks a player too good to overlook.
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