Manchester City's new head coach Enzo Maresca is preparing for a significant reshaping of his midfield as questions swirl around Rodri's long-term future at the club, with Barcelona reportedly readying a third offer for the Spanish international.
Rodri, who was recently named the World Cup's outstanding player and has previously won the Ballon d'Or, was spotted travelling back to Manchester via a commercial flight to Liverpool, fuelling speculation about his next move. The 29-year-old, considered by many the finest defensive midfielder in the world, has just a year remaining on his City contract and appears to have made peace with the idea of leaving for his native Spain.
Minor back surgery ruled Rodri out of Sunday's Community Shield clash with Arsenal, but the more pressing issue for Maresca is whether the midfielder will feature for City at all going forward. Sources suggest the club would be willing to sanction a departure, provided the funds generated help finance a replacement.
Maresca, who worked with Rodri as an assistant when the midfielder's goal secured the Champions League and completed City's treble in 2023, acknowledged the scale of transition facing the club. "We are in a moment when players that were here for many years probably already left and probably they can leave and that means there is a change," he said.
Rodri is not the only experienced midfielder departing. Bernardo Silva left following the expiry of his contract, a move made more natural by Pep Guardiola's own exit as manager. Tijjani Reijnders has also been sold, joining Al Qadsiah for a fee reported at £51m, despite having made more appearances than all but five City players last season.
In their place, City have brought in Elliot Anderson for £116m, making the 23-year-old the most expensive midfielder in football history. Fresh off a strong World Cup campaign, Anderson appears to be the one guaranteed starter in central midfield heading into the new season, though Maresca was careful to temper comparisons with the departing Silva.
"It is big challenge first of all because Bernardo shows how good he is, on the ball and off the ball in these years but Elliot arrives," Maresca said. "We are completely sure Elliot is doing a great job for this club in the next one, two, three, four, five years; no doubt about that. They are different players but we are going to try and use Elliot in the best way for him and for the team."
City are reportedly pursuing two further midfield targets: Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, whom Maresca previously coached at Stamford Bridge, and Lille's teenage prospect Ayyoub Bouaddi. Neither player offers a direct replica of Rodri's profile — Fernandez has often played as a No. 10 or alongside a more defensively focused partner, while Bouaddi, still a teenager, lacks Rodri's experience and physical presence.
Should City land both players, the overall cost of rebuilding the midfield could approach £300m, though that figure would be partially offset by the departures of Reijnders and potentially Rodri. Maresca made clear that City would not be rushed into a decision by Chelsea's self-imposed deadline of 5pm on August 14 for offers on Fernandez.
Meanwhile, Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez have both expressed a desire to remain at the club, though their positions could be affected if City complete two additional midfield signings.
Maresca also touched on the difficulty of managing players whose minds are already made up about leaving, referencing the Reijnders situation. "It's a bit difficult to convince players when they are already convinced," he said. "You need to change their thoughts. That is not always easy."
With the transfer window still open and several deals in the balance, Maresca insisted his side must be ready to adapt once business concludes. "In the moment the window transfer closes we need to be good enough to find as soon as possible solutions for our players for the team," he said. Exactly what those solutions look like remains to be determined as City's midfield rebuild continues to take shape.
Based on reporting from The Independent.