Pep Guardiola still has a few issues in his midfield department at Manchester City.
The Spaniard adores midfielders, famously admitting that he would field an entire team of them if he could when saying: “I love midfield players. They are the most intelligent players. If I had my way, I would have 1,000 of them in my squad.”
With that quote in mind, the man from Santpedor is surely unhappy with the state of his current midfield.
Mateo Kovacic remains sidelined after undergoing Achilles surgery – and has already entered the final 24 months of his contract – while doubts have also emerged over Nico Gonzalez at Manchester City after the £50m February signing played just 61 minutes of action at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Patience must also be afforded to Rodri after his return from a serious knee injury.
However, a top talent in Rodrigo Mora could improve the situation immeasurably for Manchester City.
More Man City News
Manchester City want Rodrigo Mora, and the Portuguese wonderkid could change everything
Football Transfers state that Manchester City are keen to sign Mora ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, having sent scouts to watch the 18-year-old star for Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The teenager scored a particularly superb goal in a 4-4 draw against Al Ahly in Group A.
Mora is so intelligent despite his lack of experience, capable of playing in a deep-lying midfield role, as well as further forward in the No.10 spot.
Nuno Pimentel – formerly in charge of the U15 side at Porto – even said “he sees the game like no one I have ever coached” as quoted by the Guardian.
In full, Pimentel said: “His tactical intelligence allows him to make the right decision in most situations. He’s always one step ahead. With that awareness, he creates space not just for himself but for the team. Then he combines it all with a very high level of technical skill.”
GOAL even state that Mora is frequently compared to Luka Modric in Portugal, due to his ability to pull the strings in a deeper role, but also have an impact on attacking proceedings.
How much Manchester City can sign Rodrigo Mora for
The aforementioned story from Football Transfers claims that the Custoias-born sensation has a €70m (£60m) release clause written into his contract.
That would, of course, be a lot to spend on a teenage prospect, but the midfield department does not feel ready to compete in four competitions next season at this stage, so we feel it would be worth the significant investment – especially with rivals Arsenal and Manchester United chasing Mora too.