Maresca Reveals Man City’s Plan To Replace Rodri

English Premier League side, Manchester City, is already missing one of their finest, Rodri.

Naija News recalls that the Spanish player left City last week after seven campaigns at the Etihad Stadium.

Rodri joined La Liga champions Barcelona in a deal reportedly worth around £65 million.

The 30-year-old midfielder penned a four-year contract with the Catalans after becoming one of the world’s leading players during his time in Manchester.

Rodri won four Premier League titles with City and scored the only goal in the 2023 Champions League final. He also won the 2024 Ballon d’Or and was instrumental in Spain’s World Cup victory during the summer.

City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, has admitted the player’s absence and said the club will look to find a new Rodri as football returns.

Rodri had almost 300 appearances for City and was approaching the last year of his contract at the time of his departure. Although the club proposed an extension, the player eventually left for another club.

According to BBC Sport, when asked how City would replace such an influential player, Maresca said, “We try to find the new Rodri, it is what it is.”

Maresca noted that Rodri had not yet reached the highest levels of his career at the time he joined City. The manager also noted that Manchester City’s history has demonstrated the club’s ability to effectively replace significant players throughout the years.

“Before Rodri 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.

“He joined the club, then he achieved many important things,” Maresca acknowledged.

“When David Silva was here, everyone was worried, and Kevin [De Bruyne] arrived,” he said while speaking on concerns for Rodri’s replacement.

“When Sergio [Aguero] was here, everyone was worried [about] when he was going to leave and Erling [Haaland] arrived. Fernandinho? Rodri arrived.”

Maresca said the club will maintain its culture of finding the ‘best’ replacement when key players depart.

“When they leave, you need to be good in recruiting the next one,” he added.

“They are all similar: David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri, Erling. It is normal, it is change, it is not a problem. Go again and try to do the right things.”