Rodri is fresh from winning the World Cup and Golden Ball, but speculation persists over his Manchester City future.
The midfielder expanded his trophy cabinet further on Sunday, as he captained Spain to World Cup glory against Argentina at MetLife Stadium.
But the rumours about a move to Real Madrid simply will not go away.
Reports suggest Real Madrid have been offered Rodri for just £60m… is that a fair deal for the 30-year-old?
How much do you think he's worth?
It’s a move Rodri would reportedly be open to, and the lack of movement on a new contract at City is certainly concerning.
Unfortunately, it is therefore worth thinking about a City side without Rodri in it.
And here are three ways Enzo Maresca could set up.
- READ MORE: Why Rodri is the greatest defensive midfielder of all-time as Man City star wins World Cup
Elliot Anderson as a lone six
A couple of weeks ago, City signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
The England international will hope to hit the ground running quickly after his £116 million move – and he has it in him to operate in the Rodri role.
For England, he largely played as the deepest midfielder, picking up the ball in front of the defence and dictating the tempo.
💰 Man City agree a deal for Elliot Anderson – and it’s a new club-record signing! But is he really worth the money?
He is a reliable outlet, and a good recycler of the ball. And we know he likes to get stuck in.
He really does have all the traits to play as a lone holding midfielder and he really was one of the top midfielders in the Premier League last season, so it’ll be interesting to see if Maresca would trust him in that role.
Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi together
City have been working hard to try and bring Ayyoub Bouaddi in from Lille, after he impressed at the World Cup.
Bouaddi has been on the club’s radar for longer than that, and the tournament has definitely pushed his price up, which is not so ideal.
But City seemingly love what they’ve seen, and they want to integrate him immediately, rather than send him back to Lille on loan.
Bouaddi is a great technician and someone who can carry the ball well.
💰 Man City are pushing HARD to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi, but have been quoted £87m… What is MAX City should pay to sign him?
He tends to operate from deeper positions, but his ball-carrying ability could actually make him a very nice complement to Anderson.
Anderson can also drive, but you don’t really want both of them doing that. It makes more sense to have Bouaddi as the character, leaving the more combative Anderson deeper.
If Rodri does go, then perhaps a pairing of Anderson and Bouaddi would be the way forward.
Anderson with either Mateo Kovacic or Nico Gonzalez
Realistically, Anderson will be a starter in City’s midfield regardless of what happens with Rodri.
So it’s essentially about who partners him, if, of course, Maresca doesn’t want to use him as a single pivot.
It could be a temptation for the manager to get one of Mateo Kovacic or Nico Gonzalez alongside him.
Kovacic has a huge amount of experience and is generally a very reliable option in the middle of the park when he plays.
Gonzalez has also been in English football for a good amount of time now and knows how it all works.
The Spaniard was previously called City’s ‘mini Rodri’ by Pep Guardiola, so in theory, if Rodri left, he would be first in line to replace him.
That said, Gonzalez has been linked with an exit along with a few other players, as has Kovacic. Whichever one stays might be paired with Anderson.
