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Selling Rodri to Real Madrid would leave Enzo Maresca facing a huge midfield headache at Manchester City.

Manchester City are already stepping into uncharted territory as they adapt to life after Pep Guardiola, but that already demanding transition could soon become far more difficult. The reason is that talismanic midfielder Rodri could be heading to Real Madrid, who are confident of completing what would be a blockbuster move for Spain's World Cup-winning captain.

The 30-year-old's metronomic performances in North America have persuaded Los Blancos to revive their interest in a player they have tracked for a long time, and reports suggest they believe they can take him to the Santiago Bernabeu before the September 1 transfer deadline.

There is a growing sense that Rodri's exit may be inevitable; Guardiola's decision to step down has brought an era to a close at City, with other long-serving figures also moving on, and the Spaniard is now in the final year of his contract at the Etihad after flirting earlier in 2026 with a return to his homeland and home city.

"Would I like to play in Spain again, in La Liga, in Madrid? I would like to return, yes, obviously," he told reporters during the March international break. Speaking specifically about a move to Real, he added: "You can’t turn down one of the world's best clubs."

It has already been a summer of major upheaval for City, as Guardiola's departure leaves behind a void that cannot really be filled, but losing their midfield conductor would create even more uncertainty over what comes next as they begin a new era under Enzo Maresca.

Irreplaceable

Rodri's career was significantly disrupted by the serious ACL rupture he suffered in September 2024, just a month before he collected the Ballon d'Or in Paris, and a string of further niggles largely prevented him from rediscovering his rhythm.

City will point to the midfielder's intermittent absence and the repeated need to ease him back into action as a major reason why they have not been able to win the league title since the 2023-24 campaign, before his injury issues started, having previously been so dominant. Before that, he had missed only seven matches for the club.

However, Rodri offered a timely reminder this summer of what he can do on the biggest stage of all - exactly as Guardiola predicted in October last year when he said: "In the World Cup, he will be the best Rodri, and next season he will be the best Rodri."

The 30-year-old was central to Spain's World Cup triumph in North America, controlling the tempo from the base of midfield for Luis de la Fuente's side and breaking up countless opposition attacks.

If any more proof were needed, this was it: when the time does come for Rodri to leave, City will find him impossible to replace. And they may well lose "the best Rodri" if he feels that moment has arrived now that Guardiola's glittering reign is over, with only one year left on his contract.

'Every manager wants Rodri'

For his part, Guardiola's successor, former City first-team coach and Chelsea manager Maresca, is not at all surprised by the interest in his midfield anchor, although arguably he should be much more alarmed by the possibility of the player leaving.

"First of all I have to say, that around big players there are always speculations so I am not worried about that," the Italian tactician said in his first press conference after starting work at the City Campus. "I think it is normal, also because they won the World Cup, because he is one of the best players.

"I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he is a top player. But now, surgery on Monday [on his back]. He needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us."

What the new manager must keep in mind is that Rodri has been, and would continue to be, fundamental to the way City play, drifting across different roles in Maresca's typically fluid system and launching attacks from deep, while also providing the leadership of a World Cup-winning captain.

Overhaul required

Beyond Rodri and new £116 million ($155m) signing Elliot Anderson, Maresca is not inheriting a City squad packed with midfielders who have shown the level needed to carry on the Spaniard's role, and that should be a serious concern for the coach if his maestro does indeed return to his homeland this summer.

Nico Gonzalez, who looked like the closest like-for-like replacement and was signed partly to cover for his compatriot during his ACL lay-off, has been one of the disappointments of City's January 2025 spending spree, apparently failing to make any lasting impression on Guardiola and spending most of the second half of last season on the bench. It has even been suggested that he could be sold.

Tijjani Reijnders has also failed to impress consistently after a bright start following his £46m move from AC Milan last summer, and he too found himself used far more sparingly after the turn of the year. Presumably, the hope will be that he can take a step forward next term now that he has adapted to the demands of English football.

Then there are Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis and Kalvin Phillips, all of whom have reportedly been deemed surplus to requirements at the Etihad. If Rodri is also removed from the midfield picture, City would suddenly have an enormous amount of work to do in the transfer market.

Anderson's opportunity?

Although he would surely have relished the chance to play alongside Rodri, Anderson will sense an opening to establish himself as the club's new No.6 if the Ballon d'Or winner does make the move to Madrid.

During his rapid rise at Nottingham Forest, where he became a key figure in Thomas Tuchel's England side, the 23-year-old has quickly developed into one of the best all-round midfielders around, with his qualities as a combative deep-lying playmaker especially standing out.

Last season in the Premier League, Anderson won possession more times than any other player (306) and also won the most duels (297), while still leading the creativity numbers for Forest despite the presence of Morgan Gibbs-White, creating 54 chances for his team-mates, nine of which were big chances. At the 2026 World Cup, he made the joint-most tackles (18) - an honour he shared with Rodri himself.

In short, he can do everything, and he looks ready to take on the responsibility of becoming City's new midfield focal point if the Spaniard departs.

However, he may not have to do it alone. It has been reported that the club could speed up the arrival of defensive midfield target Ayyoub Bouaddi, the breakout star of Morocco's World Cup run, depending on what happens with Rodri. It had previously been suggested that the 18-year-old would be sent straight back to Lille on loan.

Tough transition

Even so, Manchester City are about to begin what promises to be a gruelling transition under their new manager, with Guardiola leaving behind an irreplaceable void at the core of the club. Losing yet another senior squad member would only make that process even harder.

Key dressing-room figures Bernardo Silva - who was appointed captain last season - and John Stones have already moved on after their contracts expired, joining Madrid and Inter respectively, depriving Maresca of two proven leaders with serial-winning pedigree.

When that is combined with Guardiola's emotional farewell, it already amounts to a huge shift for City. Keeping Rodri would at least provide some reassurance, but even the possibility of him leaving underlines the scale of the challenge ahead.

The club's hierarchy will be determined to avoid the sort of instability that affected the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal after their own iconic managers, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, stepped aside, but there is no certainty that Maresca will be a runaway success given his mixed spell at Chelsea.

A lot would depend on preserving some badly needed continuity around the Italian, but Rodri's possible move to Real Madrid would only add to the turmoil.

'Give time'

Maresca, though, is remaining calm as he prepares for what will be the biggest challenge of his managerial career so far.

"I want to say it is a privilege because the reason why the club decided to go for me, that is a privilege," he said when asked about following in Guardiola's footsteps. "I have said many times, I consider Pep the best coach in the world in the last 20-25 years. It is a challenge.

"Also the history of the manager with many years in the same club, they struggle a bit. Sir Alex, Arsene. But it is also a challenge to do the right things."

Whatever happens, the former Chelsea head coach believes "time" will be crucial. "I know the organisation quite well and the people inside the club from years ago. I just said before that when a club has three [sic] managers in almost 20 years, it shows how serious [they are]. The structure understands to give time for everything.

"The organisation is the main thing. This club and organisation has had three [sic] managers in 17 years. That is not normal and has not happened often. I am confident that we can continue to do a great job and continue to do the job that has been done in the last 14, 15 years since Roberto Mancini was here."

Despite his composed stance, next season looks set to be a bumpy ride at the Etihad. Maresca will be desperately hoping Rodri remains by his side.