BBC presenter Gary Lineker says there is a good chance that Manchester City will try to replace Rodri during the January transfer window.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said that, while the Premier League champions don’t “usually” make high-profile signings mid-season, they may have to make an exception this time:
“I wonder whether they’ll go, they don’t usually do much in the January transfer window, but I wonder whether they might need a midfield player at least, do you think?”
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“You know, because obviously with Rodri out, he’s such a big miss, but it’s a tough act to follow, and it’s tough to find one in the window, isn’t it?”
City are seriously contemplating January transfers
Trusted journalist David Ornstein revealed earlier this week that the Cityzens are likely to sign a midfielder, although the identity of that player has yet to be determined.
As Lineker points out, replacing someone of Rodri’s calibre (who cost the club £63m in 2019) will not be easy so the club’s recruitment department have their work cut out.
Which midfielders are under consideration to replace Rodri?
The two leading candidates are believed to be Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Atalanta’s Ederson.
A move for Zubimendi is seen as the most difficult. The Spanish international may have a €60m (£50m) release clause but he has other suitors (most notably Liverpool and Arsenal), while there are doubts about whether he is interested in leaving his current team.
Ederson would cost the same amount as Zubimendi, and there is competition from Manchester United, but he is regarded as the easier one to sign.
Other names, including Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Sporting Lisbon’s Morten Hjulmand and Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller have been mentioned as possible alternatives.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here