Ayyoub Bouaddi's 90% and 83% stats to turn Enzo Maresca's head at Man City

Enzo Maresca has been officially announced as Manchester City's new manager, and his first act could be to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Man City have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to get a deal done for Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, with the transfer now all-but-confirmed.

Despite an eye-watering £116million needing to be paid to complete the deal, the Citizens are unlikely to stop there in what could be a total rebuild this summer.

Bernardo Silva and John Stones have already followed Pep Guardiola through the exit doors, with plenty of other changes likely to be made.

Although Maresca is one of Guardiola's disciples, he will have his own thoughts on which players would be perfect for his squad ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Bouaddi appears to be the subject of a multi-club battle this summer, with City only just entering the race for his signature, but looking like the likeliest of destinations, nonetheless.

Ayyoub Bouaddi runs the show in Netherlands vs Morocco

The 18-year-old has already been the talk of the summer at the 2026 World Cup, impressing against Brazil, Scotland, and now, the Netherlands.

Despite being the youngest player in the Morocco squad, he looks to be one of the most composed, made clear by his performance on Tuesday, 30 June.

As Morocco knocked the Netherlands out of the tournament, he played 79 minutes, completed 90 per cent of his passes, took two shots, and completed one of his two dribbles [FotMob].

He also won two tackles and 83 per cent of his ground duels, made four recoveries, won two fouls, and took a total of 73 touches during the game.

Bouaddi absolutely ran the show before being substituted for fresh legs, and with Rodri out at the start of next season, he would be the perfect signing this summer.

What do these deals mean for Rodri?

It's the natural circle of life in football. The lifespan of a footballer is limited, and having just turned 30 years of age, Rodri is coming towards the end of his career.

Stefan Borson told Football Insider that the Spaniard is far more likely to leave on a free transfer next summer, but his injuries could mean that the 2026-27 campaign is a difficult one for him personally.

Should the Citizens sign both Anderson and Bouaddi over the coming weeks, Rodri could be forced out of the lineup on a more consistent basis.

All signs currently point towards him joining Real Madrid, and should more signings come to the Etihad, he might not wait another 12 months to leave.