How do Man City deal with the Rodri dilemma?
Manchester City faces uncertainty regarding the future of captain Rodri, who is set for surgery following a successful World Cup campaign. New manager Enzo Maresca has expressed a desire to keep the player despite rumors of interest from Real Madrid.
Why it matters
High-profile player transfers and injury management are critical to the competitive success and financial planning of elite football clubs.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Rodri captained Spain to their World Cup final victory over Argentina
Football tactics correspondent Published 25 July 2026, 06:36 BST Manchester City are in flux.
Replacing a manager after 10 years is no easy feat, let alone when there appears to be a squad overhaul too.
Four of the starters in City's Treble-winning side of 2022-23 - Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva and John Stones - have left this summer, with the Blues signing £116m Elliot Anderson and promising 17-year-old Jeremy Monga.
Fresh from captaining Spain to World Cup victory, Rodri will head for back surgery on Monday with just a year left on his contract, amid increasing speculation about his future.
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