Manchester City will hope to return to winning ways when they face Championship side Swansea City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in their last outing on Sunday, inflicting another blow on their hopes of winning the Premier League this season.
The Citizens now sit fifth in the top flight standings, and already find themselves six points adrift of league leaders Arsenal.
Guardiola will expect to see his side cruise past the Swans, but in the meantime it has emerged that the Manchester club are focussed on securing the future of one of their most important players.
According to TBR Football, City are confident about their chances of agreeing a new contract with influential midfielder Rodri before the end of the year.
Rodri has suffered with injuries over the past 12 months (Photo: Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy)
The Spaniard – who is currently sidelined with a muscle injury – has established himself as one of Europe’s best players over the past few seasons and won the Ballon d’Or in 2024.
Despite missing much of last season due to a cruciate ligament tear, Rodri remains arguably City’s most important player and the report suggests that the club are keen to ensure he stays put at The Etihad.
Rodri’s current contract with the Citizens is set to run until the end of the 2026/27 season, but it is claimed that his representatives have been in discussions with City for over a year now.
While talks were initially delayed as Rodri was keen to focus on his return to fitness after a long lay-off, negotiations have now resumed and it is said that there is a confidence within City that they will be able to reach an agreement with the Spain international.
In total, Rodri has now played more than 270 times for Manchester City across all competitions.