City have spent more than £200million on midfielders this summer. Enzo Maresca still wants another one.
Ayyoub Bouaddi completed his move from Lille today for £81.4m plus £4.2m in add-ons.
The 18-year-old follows Elliot Anderson, signed from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £116m.
Together, the pair could cost City £201.6m.
Then there is Enzo Fernández.
City are considering a bid for the Chelsea midfielder before Tuesday’s transfer deadline. Chelsea have previously valued the Argentina international at £120m.
Pay that and City’s spending on three midfielders would reach £321.6m.
So why might Maresca want all three?
City are replacing more than Rodri
The temptation is to view Bouaddi as City’s replacement for Rodri.
He may eventually become exactly that.
Bouaddi has primarily operated as a number six for Lille and City have paid a Premier League-record fee for a teenager to sign him. He also started five games as Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals this summer.
But he is still 18.
Rodri is not the only midfielder City have lost either.
Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders have also gone, while Nico Gonzalez is expected to join Newcastle.
Maresca has therefore lost much of the midfield he inherited.
Anderson can play as a six or an eight. He already knows the Premier League and, at 23, should be ready to take on considerable responsibility immediately.
Bouaddi is a longer-term investment.
Fernández would be something else again.
Maresca knows exactly what Fernández offers
This is not a manager taking a chance on a player he has admired from a distance.
Maresca worked with Fernández at Chelsea.
The Argentine can play deep but also further forward, where his passing and ability to arrive around the penalty area become more important.
That would give Maresca choices.
He could use Bouaddi at the base of midfield with Anderson and Fernández ahead of him. Anderson could drop deeper when required. Fernández could play as an eight rather than being asked to replace Rodri.
City would not be spending £322m on three versions of the same player.
They would be buying three different midfielders.
There is also an immediate difference between Fernández and City’s two new signings.
Anderson has never played Champions League football. Bouaddi is 18 and has never played in England.
Fernández is 25, has spent more than three years in the Premier League and already understands what Maresca wants from his midfield.
That carries some value when so much else has changed.
£322m would still be extraordinary
Even by City’s standards, the figures are striking.
Fernández cost Chelsea £107m from Benfica in January 2023 and they are under no pressure to accept a cut-price offer. Sky Sports reports that their previous asking price was around £120m.
City do have money coming back in.
Rodri joined Barcelona for £65m and Reijnders moved to Al-Qadsiah for £52m. Sávio has also left for Tottenham, while Newcastle have agreed a £52m deal for Gonzalez.
This is as much a turnover of the squad as a spending spree.
The question is whether City have tried to change too much at once.
Rodri and Bernardo were part of the side’s identity for years. Replacing their ability is difficult enough. Replacing their understanding of how City play will take time.
That is perhaps the strongest argument for Fernández.
Anderson and Bouaddi have been signed partly for the players City believe they can become.
Fernández would arrive knowing Maresca, knowing the league and knowing what is expected at this level.
City have already spent £202m rebuilding their midfield.
If they are prepared to go anywhere near Chelsea’s valuation for Fernández, it suggests Maresca does not believe the rebuild is complete.
He has the new midfielders. Fernández could be the player he wants to build the new midfield around.
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