Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca stated that the team must find a “new Rodri” in light of the recent exit of their key midfielder.
The World Cup and Ballon d’Or winner has transferred to Barcelona this week, concluding a remarkable seven-season tenure at the Etihad Stadium where he claimed four Premier League titles and the Champions League title.
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Maresca acknowledges that Rodri’s departure creates a substantial gap in the squad he has taken over from Pep Guardiola, but he remains confident that it can be filled effectively.
“I will try to find a new Rodri — that’s the reality,” the former Chelsea boss expressed. “Before he joined us, he hadn’t won the Ballon d’Or, the Champions League, or the Club World Cup. But after arriving at the club, he achieved many significant milestones.
“Our objective now is to identify the next Rodri.”
“When David Silva left, there were concerns, but Kevin [De Bruyne] came in. When Sergio Agüero was gone, Erling [Haaland] arrived. Rodri entered the scene when Ferdinando departed. It’s part of the process.
“When players leave, it is important to bring in the right ones to replace them. They all share similarities — David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri, Agüero, Erling. It’s a normal transition, not a problem. We must simply continue to move forward and make the right decisions.”
Rodri’s exit is one of several notable departures, including Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Aké, and Tijjani Reijnders. With Savinho moving to Tottenham and the potential exits of Omar Marmoush and Nico González, the team is undergoing considerable transformation.
Elliot Anderson is the only major signing for the summer thus far, but Maresca indicated that more signings could be on the horizon before the transfer window closes, and he reassured fans that there is no need to panic.
“We hope to accomplish what we need to,” Maresca said in anticipation of Sunday’s Premier League match against Bournemouth. “It’s true that some players have reasons to want to leave, but we need to adapt and not retain those who don’t wish to stay.
“It’s typical in transfer windows to wait, as clubs try to hold onto players until the final week, aiming to sell them for higher fees.
“This is normal, and I’m not concerned about it. Once the transfer window closes and we have our squad finalized, it will be a different story.”
PA contributed to this report.