Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has adopted a philosophical stance on the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting the club has a proven track record of replacing star players and will do so again.
Rodri, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2024, left the Etihad Stadium this week in a deal worth around £65m after seven trophy-laden seasons. The Spain international, who scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final and lifted four Premier League titles during his time in Manchester, has signed a four-year contract with the La Liga champions. He made close to 300 appearances for City and had entered the final year of his contract; talks over an extension failed to produce an agreement.
Speaking to reporters, Maresca downplayed concerns about filling the void left by one of the finest defensive midfielders of his generation. "How do we solve that problem? We try to find the new Rodri, it is what it is," he said. The Italian pointed out that Rodri himself was not the finished article when he first arrived at the club. "Before Rodri arrived here, he didn't win the Ballon d'Or, he didn't win the Champions League, he didn't win the Club World Cup. He joined the club, then he achieved many important things."
Maresca drew comparisons with previous transitions the club has successfully navigated, citing the shifts from David Silva to Kevin De Bruyne and from Sergio Agüero to Erling Haaland, as well as the move from Fernandinho to Rodri himself. "When they leave, you need to be good at recruiting the next one," he explained. "They are all similar... it is normal, it is change, it is not a problem, go again and try to do the right things."
The manager, who succeeded Pep Guardiola this summer, also addressed Rodri's desire to move on, echoing sentiments previously expressed by his predecessor. "He can go, absolutely. If he is not happy, he is not going to perform in the right way," Maresca said.
The comments come amid a hectic period in the transfer market for City. The club has already broken its transfer record to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £115m, and remains in advanced discussions to land Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi. There is also continued interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernández, Bournemouth's Alex Scott, and Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, according to reports. On the outgoing side, Tottenham have reportedly agreed a £75m fee for winger Savinho and are negotiating to sign Omar Marmoush as well.
Asked whether he felt settled about the club's business with the transfer window nearing its close, Maresca acknowledged the unpredictability of the process. "There are 10 days to go, hopefully we can do the things that we need to do," he said, adding that City, like most clubs, tend to leave major deals until the closing stages of the window. "It doesn't help that there are players that for different reasons want to leave, that is for sure, but we need to adapt."
Maresca's focus now turns to the Premier League opener against Bournemouth, following City's 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield last weekend. The manager described the disappointment as a natural reaction but said the squad has since moved on. He also praised the professionalism shown by his players during the managerial transition from Guardiola, likening the adjustment to an actor working under a new director. Maresca confirmed he is largely happy with his squad size, noting several academy players — Kaden Braithwaite, Floyd Samba and Ryan McAidoo — have impressed enough in pre-season to remain involved with the first team.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football and BBC Sport.