Rodri has said he would take Spanish team-mate Nico Williams at Manchester City.Rodri has said he would take Spanish team-mate Nico Williams at Manchester City.
Rodri has said he would take Spanish team-mate Nico Williams at Manchester City. | AFP via Getty Images
Manchester City’s squad is in need of a major rebuild this summer.
Rodri has said he would like to see international team-mate Nico Williams join him at Manchester City.
The winger was one of Spain’s standout performers during Euro 2024 - along with Rodri - and helped guide Luis de la Fuente’s side to silverware in Germany. Williams played in six of Spain’s seven games and scored in the final victory over England.
He has been linked with a move over recent windows and Rodri feels he has the quality needed to thrive at the Etihad. Speaking at an award ceremony hosted by Spanish newspaper AS, Rodri said: Right now, I would take him to [Manchester] City, without a doubt, so that he feels the cold of Manchester, well it’s similar to Bilbao.”
Just this week, Williams has been linked with a move elsewhere. The Athletic report that the 22-year-old will probably move in 2025 and has €55m (£46m) release clause, with ‘the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among those who hold a long-standing admiration’.
As impressive as Williams was last summer, the Athletic Bilbao man’s form has dipped this season, with just one goal and three assists in 13 league appearances.
Meanwhile, Williams’ profile and cost could appeal to City, especially with their squad in desperate need of rejuvenation. Pep Guardiola’s aging team have struggling to deal with the physical demands of Premier League football in recent weeks and were bullied by Liverpool in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield.
Guardiola has referenced the age profile of his squad on several occasions over the past few weeks and spoke about how 12 of his players are approaching or aged 30 and over.
As for Rodri, he hasn’t played since September due to a long-term knee injury. Despite initially being ruled out for the rest of the season, the midfielder has said in several recent interviews that he’s hopeful of playing some part in the final months of the season.
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