Manchester City fans are already thinking about whether the club will move to replace Rodri in the January transfer window.
The Spaniard is facing months on the sidelines, after sustaining an ACL injury against Arsenal recently.
The star has already undergone surgery, and will play no further part this season in what is a huge blow for the reigning Premier League champions.
Rodri has established himself as a force in City’s midfield over the past few years and is now seen by many as the most important player in the team.
Pep Guardiola must work out how best to cover his absence, and some – including pundit Robbie Earle – have suggested we could be seeing more of John Stones in midfield from now on.
But City could also dip into the transfer market in January – and the club are now being linked with a player Liverpool have been interested in.
Man City now interested in Atalanta midfielder Ederson
It has been reported by Caught Offside that Manchester City are targeting a couple of players as potential replacements for Rodri.
One is Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace. The England international has been superb since he signed for the Eagles in January.
It has been suggested even before Rodri’s injury that he’s a player City are keeping an eye on.
But Caught Offside also claim that City are now keeping tabs on Atalanta midfielder Ederson.
Ederson, who has two caps for Brazil, has been with Atalanta since the summer of 2022 when he transferred there from Salernitana.
According to the report, Ederson would be City’s preference over Palace gem Wharton.
Ederson is a player who has actually been on Liverpool’s transfer radar for quite a while. The Reds, like City, were very quiet in the last transfer window and did not sign a midfield despite links.
Ederson would be a slightly different profile to Rodri
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
This is an interesting claim because Ederson is not necessarily an out-and-out holding midfielder like Rodri.
He can sit, but the South American is a bit shorter than Rodri and is more mobile and athletic.
Sky Sports did an analysis on Ederson back in January amid lots of interest in the player, and published some quotes from his former manager at Corinthians Tiago Nunes.
Nunes said: “He has two main strengths. Firstly, on the pitch, he has great physical strength, with the ability to play box-to-box, back and forth, sustaining the pace of the game. Secondly, he has a very strong mentality, with a very clear awareness of what he wants.”
Wharton is probably more comparable to Rodri, but we will see which player, if either, City decide to move for in January.
It may well be that Pep finds an internal solution.
