Manchester City’s pursuit of Sandro Tonali suggests that a big summer of change at the Etihad Stadium could be even more sizeable than first thought.
With manager Pep Guardiola leaving, as well as long-time key players John Stones and Bernardo Silva, a large dose of City DNA has walked out the door, and that comes after overhauling the squad to the point where most of those in the squad who have won trophies at the club had already gone.
Enzo Maresca is still set to replace Guardiola, though the final details continue to be thrashed out between City and Chelsea. The Italian has already been working on transfer targets with director of football Hugo Viana, and he is in contact with other departments on a regular basis as he looks to get a head start on the job ahead of him.
And City’s interest in Newcastle United midfielder Tonali could shed some light on a delicate situation regarding Rodri. The 29-year-old’s contract is due to be up next summer and he has not yet given an indication he is ready to sign a new one.
City are very keen to keep him and have offered a hefty new deal. This contract has been in the works since last summer at least, but there has been no breakthrough and this pursuit of Tonali suggests there might be a space opening up in City’s midfield.
Rodri has become one of the best and most influential players to play for the club, and his exploits with City and Spain prove his credentials as a genuine world-class operator.
City recognise that value, but with no major progress on that new deal, there may come a time when they have to decide to give up hope of keeping him and cash in now, or resign themselves to him leaving as a free agent next summer.
That is where City’s pursuit of Tonali becomes especially interesting, because the Italian is not considered as an alternative to Nottingham Forest’s England international Elliot Anderson, but as an additional target. City, then, are in the market for two top Premier League midfielders, and it may be that they are losing the two men who became the heart of Guardiola’s team in recent months.
The club are determined to back Maresca, and ensure that an inevitably difficult transition from the Guardiola era goes as smoothly as possible, and bringing in two midfielders for an average cost of around £100million ($103m) would certainly be evidence of that — and would probably be merited given the calibre of player that they would be replacing.
Rodri’s own situation is complicated by the fact that Real Madrid do not appear interested in signing him — not this summer, at least. The idea of Rodri and Bernardo pulling the strings in white shirts at the Bernabeu is very strange for City supporters, especially given their Guardiola coding, while there is also the added complication that the Madrid club were so openly disrespectful towards the Spaniard when he won the Ballon d’Or ahead of their Vinicius Junior in 2024.
Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva have already left City this summer (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite that, it has long been thought that Rodri would favour a move to the Spanish capital, the city where he was born, despite his past at Atletico Madrid.
All that appears to be moot, though, with a move to the Bernabeu not on the cards.
It begs an interesting question: If Rodri does leave City, where would he go?
Barcelona do not seem to be an option either — Hansi Flick was unsure about a move for Bernardo partly because of the number of midfielders he already has. If that was enough to scupper what would have been a free transfer, what are the chances of them making a signing who would command a reduced but still reasonable fee? Barca also have Marc Bernal, a talented 19-year-old midfielder with a bright future they plan to use more in the coming years.
Rodri is in an interesting position because he remains a top-class midfielder who could and should only play for one of the best clubs in the world, but there are very few of those now and, seemingly, even fewer who have room to add him this summer. There would presumably be plenty of teams that would be delighted to have him, but not necessarily ones at his level.
Then there is also the question about what his level actually is now.
Rodri established himself as a cornerstone of the City team once again in the second half of last season, and his absence was felt in the final games when he missed out with a groin problem. That shows the ACL injury he sustained in September 2024 has not had a major lasting impact, but there has been some dip, and some around him, at City and with Spain, do wonder if he will ever quite hit the heights of old again.
Rodri won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with City last season (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
He was desperate to come back from his lengthy injury lay-off at the start of last season, and sources around the first team, speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to talk, say he was often in a bad mood when told he should not play for his own good. Guardiola later acknowledged that Rodri did not make a proper return until the New Year, which was over 15 months after his ACL went, because he initially returned too soon.
His fitness must be something that City have considered when deciding how to approach his future, and given they decided to make him an offer, and that they are still fighting to keep him, they are clearly happy that he still offers huge value. The end of last season did suggest as much.
There are no guarantees that City will sign either, or both, of Anderson and Tonali, but given it is their intention to do so, there may be an element of planning for life after Rodri, even if that comes 12 months down the line.
Nico Gonzalez could leave this summer after being unable to nail down a consistent role in the first team over the past 18 months. It was telling that, in the final weeks of the season, he rarely played even when Rodri was injured — he was left out of the matchday squad for three of their last four games, including the FA Cup final.
David Ornstein on the scrutiny around Manchester City’s interest in Enzo Maresca
David Ornstein
Guardiola’s departure would, in theory, provide Nico with another chance to show that he can be that much-needed Rodri alternative, but that feels less likely.
It may be that Tonali will be the player who can put pressure on the Spaniard for a regular start, and eventually replace him. If Rodri stays, that could even put off the Newcastle man as he considers his best option for a move, knowing that game time may not come easily at City.
If Rodri is to go next summer on a free, being able to count on his on-field contributions for one more season would surely still hold value for City. He is still a top player and his role as a leader will be needed in a team which has lost Bernardo and Stones, and will possibly also lose Ruben Dias, amid links with Real Madrid.
Rodri has acknowledged the doubts over his future himself, even fuelling them with his coquettish answers about addressing matters after the World Cup is over.
It may be that the best place for him is the Etihad Stadium, but he might need to be convinced of that.
