Manchester City identify Bayern Munich midfielder as potential Rodri replacement | OneFootball

Bayern Munich appear to be a club holding the keys to a long-term successor to Rodri, in the eyes of those working in squad planning at Manchester City.

The Spanish midfielder has long been regarded as one of Pep Guardiola’s most irreplaceable players, anchoring the midfield with consistency and control, while injury problems have cast some doubt over his longevity within the game.

Rodri’s ACL-induced absence during the last season highlighted just how much Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side rely on his presence in the middle of the park, even with depth options elsewhere in midfield.

The issue has also been compounded by continued transfer speculation, despite Rodri himself dismissing the prospect of a move away from the Etihad Stadium amid widespread links to Real Madrid lingering within Spanish media throughout the summer.

Santiago Bernabeu stars such as Dani Carvajal have openly admitted they would like to see Rodri at their club, although City have been keen to reinforce their vision with Rodri by securing him to a new contract.

At the same time, Manchester City’s sporting director Hugo Viana may also be eyeing a long-term solution to the defensive midfield ranks as Rodri approaches his 30s and Pep Guardiola remaining aware of the need to manage his game time.

According to the information of SportsBoom, Manchester City are targeting Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic as a potential long-term successor to Rodri in Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

It is explained that the Catalan coach values the 21-year-old’s potential and skills, with Etihad Stadium officials considering his youth and abilities as an investment for the future despite Rodri continuing to play a key role in the squad.

One stumbling block for Manchester City in any potential negotiations with the Bundesliga giants remains the player’s contractual situation, as Pavlovic is under contract at the Allianz Arena until the summer of 2029.

Looking ahead, much could depend on how Manchester City’s midfield develops across the 2025/26 campaign, with new arrivals such as Tijjani Reijnders and Nico González reshaping options in the middle.

Pep Guardiola has more flexibility than in previous seasons, though none quite match the profile of Rodri and Pavlovic – with his mix of technical quality and physical presence – may be seen as one of the closest stylistic fits in Europe.

Still, Bayern Munich are notoriously difficult to negotiate with when it comes to prized young talents, and Pavlovic’s long-term contract could make any pursuit extremely costly for any side who wishes to test their resolve.

Manchester City, though, have shown in the past with signings such as Vitor Reis from Palmeiras that they are prepared to invest heavily in emerging prospects if they believe it will secure the future spine of their squad.