Manchester City transfer news with a midfield arrival vital this summer to help Rodri
Manchester City midfielder Rodri pictured alongside Pep Guardiola (Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Manchester City have an obvious transfer priority this summer and Pep Guardiola will hope he can finally find a solution.
The Blues have done little wrong in the transfer market in recent seasons but have yet to find an alternative to the metronomic Rodri. The Spaniard is arguably the first name on the City team sheet such is his importance in midfield.
But with that ability and significance comes a reliance. Rodri has barely missed a match in the last two seasons and spoke up about needing a rest in April. This summer he’s aiming to help secure Euro glory for Spain ahead of a club season that brings an expanded Champions League and end-of-season Club World Cup. If Rodri feels at breaking point now, his necessity for a breather will only intensify in the coming months.
And it’s why signing a midfielder should be priority number one for City. It’s not as if they haven’t tried, the addition of Kalvin Phillips looked the perfect solution but the £45million deal has failed to work out and his future is surely now away from the Etihad.
A slow start, the absence of his manager’s backing and a dismal loan spell at West Ham have combined to leave his City career prospects in tatters.
Last summer Guardiola moved for Matheus Nunes from Wolves for £53million. While not a like for like Rodri replacement, he showed during his time at Sporting an intensity and an ability to be a box to box player capable of combining defensive strength with attacking nous. Indeed during Nunes’ time in Portugal, Guardiola labelled him as one of the world’s best midfielders.
The 25-year-old managed 29 appearances last term but most came from the bench and he was restricted to only seven league starts. He has been linked with a move away this summer and certainly faces an important 12 months.
He certainly can’t be cast aside and could yet follow a City pattern of second-season improvement while a full pre-season with Guardiola will certainly help. Yet he doesn’t yet seem a go to option in the City midfield, and perhaps is destined to play further forward given he doesn’t possess the specific qualities required to replace Rodri.
That brings us nicely to Mateo Kovacic. Another arrival last summer, for an initial £25million, and one who is a natural sitting midfielder. He racked up the appearances last term and showed his composure and quality when playing alongside his Spanish teammate.
But when asked to step up in his absence the shortcomings were stark. In defeats at Arsenal and Wolves he struggled and the Croat has yet to convince he can afford Rodri a rest and provide City with a solution.
So back to the drawing board. City and Guardiola are once again left looking for a midfield addition. Rodri, for one, will certainly welcome an arrival.