Man City weigh £100m Tonali against Bouaddi as second midfield signing looms

Manchester City are closing in on a second major midfield signing this summer, with Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi emerging as the leading candidates to follow Elliot Anderson through the door at the Etihad.

Anderson’s £116 million move from Nottingham Forest is expected to be confirmed within days, with the 23-year-old helping to fill the gap left by Bernardo Silva’s departure after nine years at the club. But City’s recruitment team is not done in the middle of the park, and the choice between Tonali and Bouaddi represents a fundamental question: proven Premier League quality now, or elite potential for the future.

Tonali, 25, has established himself as one of the division’s most dependable midfielders since joining Newcastle, delivering consistent performances in both the Premier League and Champions League. His passing range, positional discipline and combative edge make him a player who could slot into Enzo Maresca’s system with minimal adjustment. The one notable gap in his game is a goalscoring contribution — he failed to find the net in the Premier League last season — but his all-round influence is difficult to question.

Newcastle are holding firm at £100 million for the Italian international. Tottenham had an opening bid rejected and subsequently moved on to West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, though reports suggest Spurs may yet return with an offer closer to Newcastle’s valuation, which could force City’s hand.

Bouaddi presents a different proposition entirely. The 19-year-old has announced himself on the global stage at this World Cup, becoming one of the breakout performers for a Morocco side that has reached the last 16. His attacking instincts, work-rate and composure in high-pressure moments have drawn interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The Lille midfielder made his senior debut at 16 and produced a standout display when the French club defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League on his 17th birthday. His box-to-box profile is well suited to the Premier League, though like Tonali he has yet to develop a reliable goalscoring habit, having not scored at senior level for club or country.

Lille are understood to be asking £85 million, though there is suggestion that figure could be reduced if Bouaddi returned to the club on loan for the 2026-27 season — an arrangement that would allow City to secure the player while giving him another year of regular first-team football in France.

The decision City face is not simply financial. Tonali offers a lower-risk, higher-certainty addition to a squad competing for major honours immediately. Bouaddi offers a higher ceiling but requires patience. How Maresca and director of football Hugo Viana weigh those competing priorities is likely to define City’s midfield for years to come.