How do Manchester City manage the Rodri dilemma? — SkimNews
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- Manchester City have lost four starters from their 2022-23 Treble-winning side (Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva, John Stones) and signed £116m Elliot Anderson plus 17-year-old Jeremy Monga as Enzo Maresca begins a squad overhaul.
- Rodri will undergo back surgery on Monday with one year left on his contract, amid reports Real Madrid are 'operating on the basis' of him joining them.
- Enzo Maresca was unequivocal in his first news conference that he wants to keep Rodri, calling him 'a top player' — Rodri arrives fresh from captaining Spain to the World Cup title and winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
- Maresca's tactical system is built on a 3-2-2-3 shape rooted in positional play, and City are monitoring 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed for Morocco at the World Cup and can play holding midfield, right-back, and centre-back.
- Maresca has a track record of repositioning players into new roles — Stones into holding midfield, Moises Caicedo into right-back at Chelsea, Marc Cucurella into attacking midfield — and wants a larger squad than Pep Guardiola maintained.
Why it matters: Manchester City hold the cards on whether to cash in on Rodri now—surgery pending, one year left on contract, Real Madrid circling—or keep the Ballon d'Or winner for Maresca's first season. The decision determines the tactical foundation of the new boss's 3-2-2-3 system and a squad overhaul that already saw four Treble-winning starters depart.
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