Journalist: Manchester City refuse to give up on priority target | OneFootball

Manchester City transfer latest as Rodri exit forces Enzo Fernandez push

Manchester City have reached the point in this window where the talking stops and the consequences start. The broad shape of the squad is clear, the weak spots are obvious, and the market is no longer moving at City’s preferred pace. According to The Athletic, the big development is that “An agreement with Barcelona for Rodri was finally reached on Sunday evening, which should spark a lot of other activity.” That is the headline, and it changes everything.

Take Rodri out of Manchester City and you do not simply remove a midfielder. You remove structure, tempo, authority, security and a lot of the calm that makes the rest of the team function. If he goes, this is not a minor refresh. This is surgery. City know it, which is why the rest of their transfer business now looks like an attempt to patch together a midfield reset before the season starts.

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The same report makes clear that City have not abandoned their main attacking idea in midfield. “City still want to sign Fernandez regardless of the deadline, so there is no pivot necessary.” That is a strong line, and it tells you where the club stands. Chelsea may have tried to impose order on a chaotic market, but City are treating that deadline as theatre rather than a barrier.

There is also the blunt reality that City have limits. The Athletic reports that Chelsea believe a previously discussed route to a deal has changed, while City “consider him a priority target and will attempt to do a deal, but have no intention of paying the £120m and do not want to go any higher.” That is sensible. Enzo Fernandez is a top player, but £120m is elite-premium money, and when clubs know City are under pressure, the price rises for sport.

Rodri sale leaves City with a problem, not a puzzle

There is a temptation to overcomplicate this. Don’t. Rodri leaving is bad news for City. It may eventually make sense financially, and the fee from Barcelona may be strong enough to justify the transaction in accounting terms, but football is not played on spreadsheets. Rodri has been the most important midfielder at the club for years, and replacing his influence with one signing is unrealistic.

The report states that “City will try to finalise plans to strengthen the midfield, with Rodri and Reijnders likely to leave this week.” That is a major warning sign. One exit of that size is destabilising. Two in the same area of the pitch is the kind of thing that can wreck the start of a season.

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Reijnders leaving matters because he was supposed to offer legs, carrying power and flexibility. Instead, The Athletic says “terms agreed with Al Qadsiah for a move for Reijnders.” If that deal goes through, City are not merely replacing talent, they are replacing depth and stylistic options. Suddenly the midfield needs quantity as well as quality.

This is why the Fernandez pursuit makes sense in football terms, even if the fee does not. He is technically secure, aggressive in possession, and capable of playing high-volume football in matches where City expect to dominate the ball. He would not be Rodri, because nobody available is Rodri, but he would at least give City a top-level operator around whom a new balance could be built.

Enzo Fernandez remains the priority despite Chelsea resistance

What stands out in the reporting is the lack of hesitation from City. There is no sign they have shelved the move. There is no sign they have been spooked by Chelsea’s posture. “On paper, Enzo Fernandez is off the table. How do City pivot?” The answer from The Athletic is direct: “City still want to sign Fernandez regardless of the deadline, so there is no pivot necessary.”

That line matters because it tells us this is not one name among many. This is the name. City have decided who they want. The issue now is whether they can drag Chelsea to a number that makes sense. That will not be easy. Chelsea have no appetite to strengthen a direct rival this late in the window, and they can point to an inflated market for midfielders. The broader context in the source is relevant here because it notes that fees for players in this position have soared in recent months. In other words, City are shopping in the wrong aisle at the wrong time.

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Still, there is logic in being stubborn. If you believe the player materially changes your ceiling, then forcing the issue is understandable. Fernandez is established, tactically adaptable and used to the pressure of huge transfer expectations. If City fail to land him, the alternatives may be younger, cheaper, and more uncertain.

And that leads neatly to the second strand of the plan.

Ayyoub Bouaddi points to City thinking beyond the immediate crisis

The Athletic says “Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi has been a target all summer, and City are aiming to close an agreement for the 18-year-old.” This is the sort of move City have often made well, identifying elite young talent before the rest of the market turns it into a bidding war. Bouaddi has a high ceiling and obvious appeal.

But let’s be serious. Bouaddi may become excellent, maybe even world class, yet asking an 18-year-old to soften the blow of losing Rodri in the short term would be unfair. If City sign him, it should be viewed as a strategic investment with upside, not as the answer to a current problem. He can help over time, he can be developed, and he can add technical quality. He should not be burdened with the idea that he is arriving to stabilise a title push from day one.

This is where City’s planning becomes interesting. If they can land Fernandez and Bouaddi, then the midfield rebuild has both immediacy and future-proofing. If they land only Bouaddi, the balance of risk shifts sharply upward. The margin for error in the Premier League is too small to rely on potential alone.

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Winger uncertainty adds another layer of risk

Midfield is the priority, but the report makes it clear City have more to sort out. “Savinho and Tijjani Reijnders missed City’s open training session last Thursday, with Tottenham advancing on a move for Savinho and terms agreed with Al Qadsiah for a move for Reijnders.” Savinho leaving would create another headache, because City would then need attacking width as well as midfield control.

The Athletic adds that “They intend to sign a replacement for any player who leaves, which would mean signing a winger if and when Savinho moves to Spurs, but their search for a suitable target is similar to the situation at right-back, with few suitable options identified.” Again, this is the problem with late-window business. The best options are either unavailable or grotesquely expensive, and everyone selling knows you are reacting rather than dictating.

There is one piece of stability. “Jeremy Doku’s new contract was confirmed, with the Belgian staying at City until 2031, with the option for another year.” That is sensible business. Doku gives City continuity on the flank and preserves at least one clear source of one-on-one threat. It does not solve the wider issue, but it removes one variable from the equation.

Then there are the possible exits beyond the obvious names. “As well as Rodri, Savinho and Reijnders, Omar Marmoush could leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, as could Jack Grealish.” That is a lot of churn in attacking and midfield areas for a team trying to recover certainty. Some turnover is healthy. Too much in the same window becomes self-inflicted instability.

From a cold football perspective, Grealish’s situation has felt unresolved for a while. Marmoush is different, because he still offers variety and profile value if used well. Yet what matters most is aggregate effect. Lose Rodri, Reijnders and Savinho, and suddenly City are not tweaking, they are rebuilding large sections of the side while the clock is ticking.

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Our View

From a worried Manchester City supporter perspective, this report makes uncomfortable reading. Rodri going is the sort of move you can talk yourself into right up until the season starts and you realise how much he covered up. He made everything cleaner. He gave the side control. Selling him now feels like opening a problem that did not need to exist.

The Enzo Fernandez pursuit makes sense, but only up to a point. If City “have no intention of paying the £120m and do not want to go any higher”, then good. Hold the line. Paying inflated panic prices is how even smart clubs get dragged into bad decisions. But if Enzo is the priority, then get on with it. This cannot drift for another week while alternatives disappear.

Bouaddi sounds exciting, and Doku staying is positive, but this team needs certainty before it needs long-term theory. Savinho possibly going, Reijnders likely leaving, Grealish still unresolved, Marmoush maybe off too, it all adds up to too much movement in key areas. The fear is simple: City are trying to do a major midfield reset and a possible attacking refresh at the same time, this late in the window. That is risky for any club, and even more risky when the standards are title or failure. Right now, this looks less like a controlled evolution and more like a scramble.

Source: The Athletic