Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said that Rodri is the best defensive midfielder in the world.
After City’s 3-1 victory against Red Star Belgrade (Mirror), the Catalan boss was quizzed about whether the £62.8 million (Independent) man is the standout player in his position on the planet.
Especially after the masterful performance on show from Rodri on Tuesday night, it was unsurprising to discover that Pep Guardiola certainly thinks so.
Pep Guardiola says Rodri is the ‘best’ defensive midfielder in the world
Branded as ‘top-class’ by Guardiola after the game as well, the 27-year-old was simply flawless at the Etihad Stadium once again.
Defensively, the Spaniard did not put a single foot wrong, whilst generating shots out of nothing through his nifty footwork and powerful ball-carrying ability as he topped his display off with a glorious goal.
When questioned about whether Rodri is indeed the best holding midfielder in the world, Pep Guardiola said, “Right now, yeah. He’s the best.”
“Hopefully, he can be better, he has a good mentality and things to improve but he’s an extraordinary holding midfielder. We were lucky the club signed this player and when he arrived, he wasn’t this type of player.”
Rodri has an argument to have surpassed Fernandinho at his peak
It would be interesting to discover which No.6 out of Rodri or Fernandinho does Pep Guardiola believe is truly better.
But the treble-winning midfielder could well have surpassed the Brazilian legend in his prime.
Defensively, where Fernandinho pips Rodri is that he can cover far more ground than him.
On the ball, while the former was exceptional, the latter is simply on another level.
To the extent where Rodri has become a genuine chance creator, while he dictates the tempo of a game better as well.
It is a tough debate to settle but the fact that the three-time Premier League winner can even be compared to a player of Fernandinho’s quality is a testament to his brilliance.
