Rodri to Barcelona: Man City transfer plans 'revealed' after Enzo Maresca's side accept £65m offer for midfielder

Manchester City are now accelerating plans to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille after agreeing to sell Rodri to Barcelona, the newest report has revealed.

The Citizens were beaten 3-0 in the Community Shield by Arsenal on Sunday, and Enzo Maresca will be alarmed by how poor his team looked in the middle of the pitch.

Talisman Rodri did not play in the game, and there was speculation that he was not part of the squad due to links to Barcelona.

Fabrizio Romano's confirmation on Sunday that Barca had agreed a €76.5m (£65.35m) deal with City came as devastating news to fans.

In a new report, Romano has claimed that City are now set to close a deal for Bouaddi, and the midfielder will join now rather than in 2027.

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Ayyoub Bouaddi to Manchester City: Will he replace Rodri?

The first thing to note about the Lille midfielder is that he is only 18, and expecting him to adapt to the Premier League immediately would be unfair.

For fans hoping that Bouaddi could be the heir to Rodri, they may be left disappointed given the Moroccan international is at his best without the ball.

Bouaddi averaged 30 successful passes per game in Ligue 1 last season, whereas Rodri averaged 69.4 per game in the Premier League.

Instead of expecting the Lille star to replicate the Ballon d'Or winner, Maresca will likely have to find new ways of progressing play.

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Premier League title race: Are Manchester City vulnerable without Rodri?

The loss of Rodri should not be understated, and his absence from the team will leave City with a sizeable hole in the middle of the pitch.

Elliot Anderson and Bouaddi could form a strong partnership, though neither are expert distributors of the ball.

The signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea could give City a better balance in midfield, but they would likely have to offer a fee in excess of £100m to tempt the Blues into a sale.