Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca wants new Rodri before transfer deadline

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca says the club must recruit a “new Rodri” after the influential midfielder completed his move to Barcelona this week.

Rodri’s departure brings an end to a seven-year spell at the Etihad Stadium, during which the World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or recipient helped Manchester City claim four Premier League titles and the Champions League.

The midfielder’s exit leaves a significant hole in the squad Maresca inherited from Pep Guardiola, but the City manager believes the club can successfully identify and develop a replacement.

“I’ll try to find a new Rodri it is what it is,” said Maresca.

“Rodri, before he 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. Then he joined the club and then after he achieved many important things.

“Now the target for us is to try to find the new Rodri.”

Maresca pointed to City’s history of replacing key players as evidence that Rodri’s departure does not have to undermine the club’s ambitions.

“When David Silva was here, everyone was worried – Kevin (De Bruyne) arrived. When Sergio Aguero was here, everyone was worried – Erling (Haaland) arrived. When Fernandinho left, Rodri arrived. It’s just about this.

“When they leave, you need to be good and recruit the next one.”

Rodri is one of several prominent players to have left Manchester City during the close season. Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders have also departed.

Savinho is expected to join Tottenham, with Omar Marmoush potentially moving to the club as well. Nico Gonzalez could also leave before the transfer window shuts.

So far, City’s only major signing has been midfielder Elliot Anderson, although Maresca expects more business to be completed before the deadline.

The manager said the scale of the changes to his squad was not causing him concern before Sunday’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.

“Hopefully we can do the things that we need to do,” Maresca said. “It doesn’t help that there are players that for different reasons want to leave, this is for sure.

“But we need to adapt and we don’t want to keep players here that don’t want to stay.”

Maresca also said it was normal for clubs to delay major transfer decisions until the final week of the window, when selling teams may be able to secure higher fees.

“The normal thing in transfer windows is that you have to wait because all the clubs try to keep players until the last week and then sell for more money.

“It’s normal, I’m not worried about that. When the transfer window closes and we have all the squad there, for sure it will be different.”

The immediate challenge for Maresca will be to prepare Manchester City for life without Rodri while the club continues to reshape its squad. City’s recruitment before the transfer deadline will determine whether the midfielder’s absence is addressed by one direct replacement or through a wider adjustment to the team.