Manchester City are navigating one of the most significant transitional periods in the club’s recent history as a new era gets underway.
Replacing a manager of Pep Guardiola’s stature after a decade at the helm is a formidable challenge for any incoming head coach to face.
Four starters from City’s Treble-winning 2022-23 squad have already departed, with Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva and John Stones all leaving the club this summer.
The Blues have moved to strengthen their ranks with £116m signing Elliot Anderson and the arrival of promising 17-year-old Jeremy Monga, though further changes appear likely.
At the centre of the uncertainty is Rodri, who captained Spain to World Cup glory before being handed the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
The 30-year-old midfielder is set to undergo back surgery on Monday with just one year remaining on his contract, fuelling speculation over his future at the club.
Reports suggest Real Madrid are “operating on the basis” of Rodri joining them, placing new manager Enzo Maresca in an uncomfortable position from the very start of his tenure.
Maresca, however, made his stance clear at his first news conference, stating: “I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he is a top player, but now, surgery on Monday… he needs a holiday… he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us.”
Guardiola had previously spoken of his confidence in Rodri’s ability to return to peak form, saying last October: “In the World Cup, he will be the best Rodri, and next season he will be the best Rodri.”
Those words proved prophetic, with Rodri’s performances for Spain confirming he had fully recaptured his Ballon d’Or-winning levels after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Maresca’s tactical system is rooted in an on-the-ball shape that resembles a 3-2-2-3, with positional versatility among his players central to making it function effectively.
The new City boss has drawn comparisons between his football philosophy and chess, saying: “There are a lot of similarities. The most important is positional play and strategy. For a coach, it’s important to have the mentality of a chess player: develop a plan, study counter-moves, choose the arrangement of the pieces.”
Rodri’s value within this system lies in his ability to move fluidly between predefined positions, dropping into the backline or advancing forward depending on the space that opens up.
During the World Cup, for example, Rodri was seen taking up a centre-back role as Spain built out from the back while former City team-mate Aymeric Laporte pushed forward with the ball.
Anderson, who has played across every midfield and attacking position during his career, is seen as a key component of how Maresca’s system functions without relying solely on Rodri.
The 23-year-old has also frequently dropped into defence for England to form a back five out of possession, giving Maresca significant tactical flexibility across different phases of play.
City are also monitoring 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed for Morocco at the World Cup and has played across holding midfield, right-back and centre-back during his career.
Bouaddi’s positional intelligence and elegance on the ball draw comparisons to the role John Stones played in Guardiola’s system, where Maresca served as assistant manager during the Treble-winning season.
Maresca has previously demonstrated a sharp eye for repositioning players, having moved Stones into holding midfield, Moises Caicedo to right-back, and Marc Cucurella into attacking midfield during his time at Chelsea.
Whether Rodri stays or departs, Maresca’s ability to create positional solutions from his available squad should give City a genuine platform to build on heading into next season.
