Hull City's active transfer window before Premier League return - will they stay up?

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Could Bouaddi succeed where Grealish fell short?

If Ayyoub Bouaddi is to join Manchester City, he will hope his career at the Etihad proves more successful than that of Jack Grealish.

England international Grealish joined City from Aston Villa for a then British-record transfer fee of £100m in 2021.

It took the attacker time to settle at the Etihad. However, he was an integral part of the team that won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 2023.

Since then, though, Grealish's career has been on a downward trajectory and he spent last season on loan at Everton.

Although he will always be remembered by the City faithful for his contributions during the 2022/23 campaign, it is fair to say Grealish never consistently hit the heights expected of him after signing in 2021.

Bouaddi will hope he can become a more consistent performer for City.

What next for Jack Grealish?

Emlyn Begley

BBC Sport reporter

Jack Grealish could be given the chance of a fresh start under a new manager at Manchester City in Enzo Maresca.

Following his substitute appearance in Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, the Italian did say that Grealish will get games if he stays and impresses.

But it still feels more than likely he will end up leaving.

Grealish could yet return to Everton, where he spent last season on loan. The Toffees opted not to make the deal permanent for City's rumoured valuation of £50m this summer.

But with one year left on his supposed £300,000-a-week deal, and with Grealish likely to be a substitute at best, City are surely going to be open to lower offers, or even another loan move.

Could he even go back to his boyhood club Aston Villa, who are in the Champions League this season?

BBC Radio WM presenter Daz Hale said: "There is a real romance of the return of the prodigal son. You always felt it was written at some point he would come back.

"It is a Champions League season again for Villa, they need to have strength in depth with a deeper talent pool."

Or could an overseas move for Grealish hold some appeal? Several media outlets claim that Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid are looking at him.

Man City 'need someone in that midfield that's dominant'

Ellen White

Former England striker on 5 Live

I think it's a transition, with a new manager.

Rodri was huge in the way they played, [he controlled the] build-up and I think that's a huge loss for them.

It's obviously understanding what Maresca wants, and it's tough to understand that philosophy [so quickly].

A lot of the players have been in the World Cup as well, so they're coming late into the pre-season.

I think Ruben Dias actually said it's a bit of a transition for him after the game [3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield]. So, if the players feel it as well, that's going to transition into the pitch.

I think they need time and then they need someone in that midfield that's dominant, knows how Man City play, builds the rhythm and connects the team.

Rodri was that for them and that's a huge loss for City [as a whole] and a huge impact on their midfield as well.

Bouaddi no stranger to making headlines

Ayyoub Bouaddi is no stranger to making headlines.

In 2023, at just 16 years and three days old, he made his senior debut for Lille in a Europa Conference League match.

Since then, Bouaddi has gone from strength to strength, establishing himself as a key part of an exciting Lille side that has finished second and third in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons.

In total, the central midfielder has made 96 senior appearances at club level. That figure is expected to surpass 100 before he turns 19 in October.

As if his success in Ligue 1 were not enough, he was also one of the breakout stars of this summer's World Cup, featuring in all five of Morocco's matches as they progressed to the last-16 stage.

It is little wonder he is being linked with a big-money move to Manchester City?

Midfield 'most interesting area' of Man City transition under Maresca

Izzy Christiansen believes the evolution of Manchester City's midfield under new manager Enzo Maresca will be "interesting" to monitor following their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in Sunday's Community Shield.

"In Maresca's post-match interview he sounded calm and collected, which is the managerial style he has displayed at Chelsea and Leicester City," said Christiansen on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"He knows the job that he has and if they can transition whilst still qualifying for Europe or being title contenders then that's huge success.

"Regardless of what is happening with Rodri, the midfield is the most interesting area of the team. He finished with Nico Gonzalez, Rayan Cherki and Rico Lewis which didn't look right.

"He was probably protecting Elliot Anderson in terms of minutes, and Phil Foden didn't see the game through, but I question how he is going to evolve that midfield without Rodri.

"There will be eyes on them until the transfer window shuts to see who they replace Rodri with, should he depart, and that will be key."

Bouaddi plays as a 'deep-lying conductor'

Sami Mokbel

BBC Sport Senior football correspondent

Ayyoub Bouaddi impressed at this summer's World Cup - starting all of Morocco's five matches in their run to the quarter-finals - after a starring role in Lille's Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024 announced him on the big stage.

He functions as a deep-lying conductor and would complement summer signing Elliot Anderson, who is comfortable as a box-to-box midfielder as well as the number six role he plays for England.

Bouaddi has played 88 times for Lille since making his debut in October 2023, three days after his 16th birthday, and helped them finish third in Ligue 1 last season.

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Get Involved - Do Spurs need to replace Vicario?

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Vicario joined Spurs as Lloris replacement

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham signed Guglielmo Vicario in 2023 from Serie A side Empoli for a fee of around £17.2m.

He was the second signing for then manager Ange Postecoglou, brought in to replace Hugo Lloris, who left the club in 2024.

The Italy international's contract with Spurs is set to end in 2028.

He won the Europa League in 2025 with Tottenham and made 117 appearances for the club.

Vicario started his career at Udinese and had spells at Cagliari, Perugia and Venezia before joining Empoli in July 2021 following their promotion to Serie A.

Villa close in on Suzuki with Martinez future in doubt

Despite Aston Villa's breakdown in talks with Juventus over Emiliano Martinez's potential move, Unai Emery's side are still closing in on the signing of Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Japan international Suzuki has been one of Villa's top targets and the deal, reportedly for around £30m, is progressing.

Suzuki was born in America but qualifies for Japan through his mother and played all four of their matches at the World Cup this summer.

The 23-year-old has made 59 appearances for Parma since joining from J-League side Urawa Red Diamonds in 2024.

Martinez will not be joining Juve - gossip

The news of Juve's swoop for Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario follows a story that developed slowly overnight about a breakdown in talks between the Serie A side and Aston Villa over a deal for their Argentina stopper Emiliano Martinez.

The Athletic, external reported that the 33-year-old would not be joining Juventus this summer.

Reporter David Ornstein said that talks had reduced the price gap between the two clubs, but Villa were holding out for a flat fee of 10m euros (£8.6m) while Juventus were only prepared to pay 7m euros (£6m) up front, even though they were willing to meet the overall fee with add-ons.

Click here for a full round-up of today's transfer gossip.

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