Man City must find Rodri replacement after Barcelona move — Maresca

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca says the club must find a new Rodri following the midfielder’s move to Barcelona this week.

Rodri ended his seven-year spell at City, during which he helped the club win four Premier League titles and the Champions League. He also won the Ballon d’Or.

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His departure leaves a big gap in Maresca’s squad, but the manager believes City can find a suitable replacement.

“I’ll try to find a new Rodri. It is what it is,” Maresca said.

“Before Rodri joined City, he had not won the Ballon d’Or, the Champions League or the Club World Cup. He joined the club and went on to achieve many important things.

“Now our target is to try to find the new Rodri.”

Maresca said City had successfully replaced key players in the past.

“When David Silva was here, everyone was worried. Then Kevin De Bruyne arrived. When Sergio Aguero was here, everyone was worried. Then Erling Haaland arrived. When Fernandinho left, Rodri arrived,” he said.

“When important players leave, you have to be good enough to find the next one.”

Rodri is one of several important players to leave City this summer. Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders have also left the club.

Savinho is expected to join Tottenham, while Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez could also leave before the transfer window closes.

City’s only major signing so far is midfielder Elliot Anderson, but Maresca expects more players to arrive before the deadline.

“It doesn’t help when players want to leave for different reasons, but we need to adapt,” he said.

“We don’t want to keep players who don’t want to stay.

“I’m not worried. When the transfer window closes and we have the full squad, things will be different.”