Hugo Viana identifies new priority following Manchester City’s summer transfer business | OneFootball

Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana is aiming to finalise an agreement over his next priority target before the opening of the January transfer window.

Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium earlier this year, Viana has been tasked with ensuring Manchester City’s long-term stability, both in terms of squad building and player retention. Having overseen a busy market and immediate recruitment needs, his attention has now turned to securing the futures of existing stars.

Among those, Rodri has emerged as perhaps the most critical name on Viana’s agenda. The midfielder, fresh from a challenging 2024/25 season that saw him suffer a serious knee injury, remains integral to Pep Guardiola’s system and City’s long-term ambitions.

With Real Madrid continuing to monitor the Spainiard’s situation, the club are keen to move swiftly. In recent months, speculation has persisted around Rodri’s potential availability, fuelled by Madrid-based reports and open admiration from players such as Dani Carvajal.

However, Manchester City have consistently been confident about retaining the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, believing that their project and Pep Guardiola’s presence will be enough to fend off interest from his home country.

According to the information of TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey, Manchester City will now accelerate contractual renewal talks with star midfielder Rodri following the closure of the summer transfer window, and are hoping to sort a new agreement before January.

Bailey has explained, “Talks with Rodri over a new deal have actually been ongoing for nearly 12-months but the plan was always to accelerate them after this international break as Hugo Viana approached his first out of window spell as City chief.

“Real Madrid have long been linked, but we are told that City and Rodri are confident that an agreement will soon be finalised and the club don’t see a real issue in tying him down to fresh terms.”

Looking ahead, Manchester City officials are eager to ensure Rodri’s commitment aligns with the long-term vision set by Pep Guardiola, whose own contract runs until the summer of 2027. With the club already making plans for succession in various parts of the squad, securing the midfielder would provide much-needed stability in a key position.

There is also optimism that Rodri himself sees his future in Manchester, particularly after his recent admission that last season’s injury could extend his career and offer him new motivation.

That belief, paired with his comments about viewing his time at Manchester City as only the halfway point of his career, suggests that both sides are aligned. If Hugo Viana succeeds in tying down Rodri before the new year, it would mark a significant first milestone in his reign as sporting director.

Beyond simply fending off La Liga giants Real Madrid, such a move would underline Manchester City’s determination to keep their most valuable assets at the heart of the project, no matter the outside noise.