Why Ayyoub Bouaddi cannot solve Man City "disaster" despite record £85.6m transfer

Gareth Barry has hailed Ayyoub Bouaddi following his record-breaking move to Manchester City, although he has warned the teenager should not be viewed as the replacement for Rodri.

City have forked out around £85.6m to sign Bouaddi, making him the most expensive teenager in Premier League history.

The 18-year-old is a much-needed addition following the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders, with centre-back Marc Guehi starting in midfield against Bournemouth at the weekend.

Bouaddi impressed for Morocco at the recent World Cup and City will be hoping he can hit the ground running this season.

Barry, who won the Premier League with City in 2012, believes Bouaddi is a "good signing" but believes the departure of Rodri is a "disaster".

Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, Barry gave his thoughts on City's midfield.

Gareth Barry delivers Ayyoub Bouaddi Man City verdict

"It's going to be a tiny little bit of a rebuild and what I've seen from him [Bouaddi], you know, he's 18, he looks really, really mature for his age," Barry told Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor.

"He's coming in as a capable starter. But to fill Rodri's shoes, I think it's going to be unfair to put that on his shoulders.

"The ability he's got on the ball, he's got great feet, can do both jobs really going forward and breaking up play. So yeah, he will be a good signing for Man City, but ultimately, if he's a like-for-like replacement, he's not at Rodri's level yet, it's quite clear.

"I think when you're looking at a replacement for Rodri, I think Elliot Anderson was the player they signed for that. I was watching the Community Shield and thinking back to when I used to get asked to play a tiny bit further forward when I was a bit older and it doesn't suit his sort of attributes.

"I expect him to play a lot deeper and he will control and it will suit him a lot more. I think he's the replacement for Rodri, he's gonna have to step up and fill those big shoes, he'll know that.

"But he's got the character, we've seen it with England, seen it with Nottingham Forest, he's not gonna shy away from anything, Elliot Anderson.

"It will be a tougher season for him and the expectations, it's going to be a different type of season for him, the pressures that come with playing for Man City."

Rodri departure a "disaster" for Man City

However, veteran midfielder Rodri left City for Barcelona this summer and Barry believes he will prove to be a "huge loss" this season.

"I think for Rodri personally, if he wanted to go and play for one of the big Spanish clubs, it's absolutely perfect for him," Barry said. "For Man City, I think it's a disaster.

"His record in and out of the team speaks for itself, his win percentage is incredible, and when he doesn't play, he's such a dominant figure that he's a massive miss on the pitch.

"Looking at the squad, I think it's a huge loss that is going to affect them, certainly this season and probably going forward as well."

Rodri spent seven years at City and helped the club win 12 major trophies, including the Champions League and four Premier League titles, before bidding an emotional farewell earlier this month.