Exclusive: Man City Plan for Life Without Rodri, Target Bundesliga and European Stars

Manchester City are compiling a shortlist of replacements for talisman Rodri if he decides not to sign a contract extension, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Higher-ups at the Etihad have opened talks with the Ballon d’Or winner over an extended deal at the club. 

The midfielder is under contract until 2027, but bosses want to tie him down with a new long-term deal to avoid being in a position where he could have his head swayed when he enters the final year of his deal.

Despite his injury woes in recent times, boss Pep Guardiola still sees the defensive midfielder as a pivotal part of his plans at the Etihad and does not want him to leave under any circumstances.

Our sources understand the club are confident the Spanish international will agree a new deal.

But it is also understood that the club are planning for life without Rodri if it happens, with a question mark still remaining over whether he can rediscover the form which saw him bag the Ballon d'Or before his ACL injury an uncertainty already reflected in shifting odds across low deposit betting sites assessing City’s title prospects.

German starlet Said El Mala is someone the club are closely monitoring. The teenager has impressed in the Bundesliga at FC Köln and is a highly-sought after prospect at home and abroad.

Sporting’s Morten Hjulmand and Bayern Munich’s Aleksander Pavlovic are two other alternatives City bosses are believed to be considering. 

Trophy-Laden Spell

Rodri, 29, has played a huge part in City’s plethora of success in recent years, so much so that he earned the coveted Ballon d’Or in 2024 after City’s fourth Premier League title in a row and Spain’s European Championship success.

City’s decline last season coincided with Rodri missing the majority of the campaign with an ACL and meniscus injury in his knee which saw him manage just three appearances, a downturn that heavily influenced casino bets and long-term markets around City’s domestic and European ambitions.

Rodri was getting back up to speed this term before a hamstring issue frustratingly put him back on the sidelines.