Man City eye Liverpool transfer target as possible Rodri replacement | OneFootball

Man City are reportedly considering a move for Martin Zubimendi, who was linked with Liverpool this past summer, in the January transfer window.

The Premier League champions are in the market for a new midfielder after Rodri was ruled out for the rest of the season following a knee injury he sustained during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal last month.

The Spain international underwent surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament injury, and he also had meniscus damage.

In his absence Pep Guardiola has fielded veterans Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic together in midfield, while Rico Lewis has also stepped into the middle of the pitch.

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The Man City manager has said they have five different options in their squad to fill the void left by Rodri, but the club could go into the transfer market when the window opens in the winter.

Real Sociedad’s Zubimendi has emerged as a potential transfer target, with City prepared to “take advantage” of his €60 million release clause, according to Spanish outlet Relevo.

The report suggests that the central midfielder would not just be a short-term signing and could be the long-term replacement for Rodri, whose contract expires in 2027.

Liverpool came close to signing Zubimendi in the summer, but the 25-year-old decided to stay put in San Sebastian. Despite a slow start to the season that has seen the team take nine points from their opening nine La Liga matches, he does not regret the decision.

“It is true that there was a lot of noise,” he recently told Noticias de Gipuzkoa. I went through uncomfortable moments. The best thing for me was to stay here. Because of the press there is a lot of noise but in the end everything is easier than all that.

“Of course I don’t regret it, I can’t think that after four or five games at the start of the season. I made my decision from within, I thought it was the best thing to do, the results don’t affect me. I see potential in this team, you just have to watch us train and I’m excited about having a good season.

“In the end, like every market, things always come up. This summer it was my turn. These are things that happen that you have to deal with in the best way possible.

“It is true that I was a bit uncomfortable with everything, especially because of the noise, and in the end I isolated myself and made the decision that I thought was the right one.”

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