Manchester City look like the favorites to sign Rodri
Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are interested in adding another strong midfield presence to their squad this summer, as they appear to be closing in on Atletico Madrid’s Rodri as their top target.
There has been no shortage of interest in Rodri this summer, as he’s one of the most in-demand midfielders in the world. The 22-year-old Spanish international has the upside to be one of the world’s best midfield maestros, if he isn’t at that level already following a highly successful season with Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
While the Spanish international has been loosely linked to the likes of Manchester United and Napoli, Manchester City and Bayern Munich appear to be the two favorites to land Rodri’s signature. According to BBC Sport’s Simon Stone, City is prepared to pay Rodri’s 70 million euro release clause, which would surpass winger Riyah Mahrez as the powerhouse club’s most expensive transfer in history.
Pep Guardiola could use another defensive midfielder, and Rodri is more of a metronomic passer and willing defender than the exciting Ilkay Gundogan, who re-established himself as a world-class player in 2018-2019.
Rodri and Antoine Griezmann were Atletico’s two biggest stars in the team’s second-placed finish in La Liga, and he’d be an excellent addition to the Premier League champions. A perfect fit for Guardiola’s system, Rodri completed a whopping 91.1% of his passes last season, per WhoScored.com.
Bayern Munich is Manchester City’s main competition for Rodri, as they could also use another center midfielder with Javi Martinez getting older. Thiago, formerly Guardiola’s protege at Barcelona and a player Guardiola has remained interested in, is still a superstar and has box-to-box midfielder Leon Goretzka by his side. But Bayern could use a 22-year-old with Rodri’s skill-set, especially since they are in the midst of a youth movement.
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Mundo Deportivo reports that Rodri has already rejected Bayern’s overtures and would preferred to play for the renowned Guardiola, a former Bayern manager, at City. While City seem like the better fit on paper and the more likely landing spot for the expensive transfer, Bayern might not be out of the race yet. They need a defensive midfielder just as badly as City, and they are also reportedly willing to pay the 70 million euro release clause.