Man City transfer news LIVE: Jack Grealish stance, Ayyoub Bouaddi warning, latest updates today

Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live Manchester City transfer news blog on Thursday, August 27!

Enzo Maresca's midfield rebuild is continuing at pace ahead of this weekend's Premier League battle with Crystal Palace, but not everyone associated with the Sky Blues is 100% happy.

Stay entirely up to date with the latest Man City done deals and rumours with our social-led live blog below!

Today's Man City transfer headlines

Jack Grealish 'stance' revealed amid Premier League interest

Gareth Barry warns City over Ayyoub Bouaddi arrival

Man City transfer news today: What's happening on August 27?

The most positive official news of the week was the confirmation of Ayyoub Bouaddi's signing from Lille, with the club announcing the 18-year-old Morocco midfielder's shirt number and the length of his contract, completing a club-record £85.6m deal.

Bouaddi is the fifth first-team signing of the summer after Elliot Anderson, Jeremy Monga, Geronimo Rulli and Brazilian winger Allan Elias, whose Fabrizio Romano-confirmed £34.2 million arrival from Palmeiras represents Maresca's direct Savinho replacement.

The Jack Grealish situation also moved toward a conclusion on August 27, with a report confirming that Aston Villa and Everton have both made contact with the 30-year-old England international's representatives over a potential free or cut-price departure from the Etihad.

Grealish became Britain's most expensive player when City paid £100m for him from Aston Villa in 2021, but a sharp decline in playing time culminated in a loan spell at Everton last season, and the attacker is now expected to make a permanent departure decision within days.

Romano dismissed speculation linking Grealish with Sunderland as having no substance, narrowing the race to Villa and Everton with a third club's concrete approach yet to be confirmed.

Nico Gonzalez's presentation to the Newcastle crowd confirmed his £50m departure, while Gareth Barry warned in a Sports Mole exclusive that Bouaddi alone cannot solve a midfield problem that has also seen Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Bernardo Silva all leave in the same summer.

City face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday in their second Premier League fixture, with Maresca managing a squad that is rapidly losing experienced midfield options while the Enzo Fernandez pursuit from Chelsea remains the final outstanding piece of his rebuild.