Manchester City could unleash “huge” transfer budget on signing to replace Rodri | OneFootball

Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola could unleash a “huge” Manchester City budget on replacing the long-term injured Rodri, according to reports.

It was confirmed at the end of last week that the mainstay Manchester City defensive midfielder would be ruled out for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, and may be permitted additional breaks from the first-team picture to ensure the best possible recovery.

Manchester City have completed two-and-a-half matches without the 28-year-old, remaining unbeaten in that period but drawing two successive Premier League matches against Arsenal and Newcastle, alongside a Carabao Cup third round victory.

The absence of Rodri will test Pep Guardiola’s ability to source sufficient solutions for the remainder of the season, and the latest contest saw City deploy a combination of Mateo Kovacic alongside the likes of Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji in possession.

However, another route for the Premier League champions to take could see the club turn towards the transfer window, especially after a summer that saw the club take home a significant revenue through player sales.

According to the information of Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Manchester City have a “huge” transfer budget to spend on a potential Rodri replacement after the Spaniard sustained a long-term injury.

However, the report points towards sources who state that the names the Premier League champions are looking towards are unlikely to be available in the upcoming January transfer window, and as such they are prepared to remain patient in the search for a new midfielder.

In the immediate need for a Rodri replacement in the Manchester City system, O’Rourke reports that it is expected that Mateo Kovacic or John Stones will be selected to replace the midfielder.

Manchester City sold a number of first-team players and Academy graduates during the recent summer transfer window, with their most notable sale being Julian Alvarez’s move to Atletico Madrid for an initial €75 million rising to €95 million through possible add-ons.

Among the other notable first-team players to bring in significant funds into the Etihad Stadium operation were Sergio Gomez and his exit for Real Sociedad, as well as Joao Cancelo’s move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.

However, at present there have been very little in the way of defensive midfield profiles that could become realistic options for Etihad recruitment bosses in the upcoming winter transfer market.