Manchester City are reportedly targeting the acquisition of a holding midfielder ahead of the January transfer window following Rodri’s serious knee injury.
Manchester City have reportedly commenced their search for midfield reinforcements in the January transfer window following a serious injury to Rodri.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a stellar 2024 up to this point, helping the Citizens to a fourth straight Premier League title during the second half of the 2023-24 campaign.
Rodri also achieved greatness on the international scene, guiding Spain to their fourth-ever European Championships victory at Euro 2024 in Germany over the summer.
The La Roja star sat out of Man City’s first three Premier League contests of the term due to a hamstring strain picked up in the final win over England in Berlin.
Pep Guardiola has been cautious to bring Rodri back into first-team contention after such a busy 12 months for the enforcer in club and international football.
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Man City to swoop for midfielder in January?
According to Football Insider, Man City are drawing up midfield plans for the January window following a serious injury to Rodri on Sunday.
Tussling in the box with Thomas Partey, the Spaniard’s right knee buckled and the 28-year-old went down in agony, soon to be replaced in the Premier League clash against Arsenal.
There have been numerous reports stating that Rodri has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, meaning that he would be set to miss the remainder of the season.
The Euro 2024 winner has recently been pictured arriving in Barcelona – limping out of the airport terminal – ahead of appointments with leading football doctors.
It is understood that Man City boss Guardiola is keen to bolster his defensive-midfield options in January following the blow to Rodri’s fitness.
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Can Man City cope until the New Year?
With the transfer window currently shut, Man City will have an agonising wait until January, when they will be able to recruit a replacement for the injured Rodri.
Until then, the Citizens will have to find alternative solutions from within their squad to cope without the services of arguably the best holding midfielder in the world.
Both naturally defenders, John Stones and Rico Lewis are capable of operating in central areas for Man City, with the former renowned throughout his career for his ability on the ball.
There are also more orthodox replacements for Rodri, including Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes, whilst Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva could also play in deeper roles.