Manchester City target double contract breakthrough with first-team superstars before January | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are reportedly eyeing breakthroughs in contract talks with two of their superstar first-team names before the January transfer window.

City have embarked upon a new era under director of football Hugo Viana, who made seven new additions to Pep Guardiola’s squad in his first transfer window in charge at the Etihad Stadium and signed off on a series of notable exits.

Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan, James McAtee, Ederson and Scott Carson all left Manchester City permanently this summer, with Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji allowed to leave on season-long loans for regular playing opportunities.

Guardiola and co sit in fifth place in the Premier League table after nine games and have recovered from an early season in August that left the Blues in the bottom half of the table and brought back memories of their subpar 2024-25 season.

Club executives have tied down Ruben Dias, Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis to new deals already this season, with conversations believed to be in the offing with Ballon d’Or winning midfielder Rodri and academy graduate Phil Foden.

Viana and co are forging a title-winning side for the seasons to come and as much as the Portuguese executive has received plaudits for his shrewd recruitment this summer, tying down some of Guardiola’s best players to long-term deals holds as much importance.

City have allowed club captain Bernardo Silva to enter the final year of his contract and are resigned to losing the Portugal international for free next summer with the 31-year-old formally allowed to negotiate with new clubs from January 1, 2026.

The eight-time Premier League champions are not expected to be nearly as active in the January 2026 transfer window but could capitalise on an opening that presents itself which is deemed too good to turn down.

According to the information of TBR Football, Manchester City are looking to finalise Rodri’s new contract before the end of the year, having been in communication with the Spaniard and his representatives for more than 12 months.

It is explained that there is now a willingness and confidence on both sides of talks that the former Ballon d’Or winner will soon agree to extend the defensive midfielder’s contract – which currently runs until the summer of 2027.

Aside from ongoing discussions over a new deal with Rodri, it is further revealed that Manchester City hold a similar stance around star playmaker Phil Foden – also aiming to complete a new agreement before the turn of the year.

Rodri has endured a frustrating 12 months with injuries and is expected to return to the pitch in the near future, with Foden looking like he is on the path to returning to his best after making an eye-catching start to the 2025-26 season.