Rodri’s Exit Would Be City’s Biggest Test Yet, So Who Actually Fills the Void?

Losing a Ballon d'Or winner mid-rebuild is not exactly ideal. But that is the situation Enzo Maresca could be walking into at Manchester City, with Rodri increasingly likely to head back to Spain and leave one of the biggest holes in Premier League history.

City have already knocked back a £38.5m bid from Barcelona. Real Madrid are lurking too. And with Rodri in the final year of his contract after captaining Spain to World Cup glory, the question of when he leaves feels more pressing than whether he does.

So what are Maresca's actual options? We've looked at the four names linked most seriously with the role, and there's a clear favourite if you ask us.

The Scale of What City Are Actually Losing

Rodri isn't just a midfielder. He's the engine room that made City's style possible. Pep Guardiola spent years saying he was the most important player in the squad, and the numbers backed it up. When Rodri was injured during the 2024-25 season, City fell apart. When he returned and led Spain to World Cup success, he looked as good as ever.

Replace Rodri in isolation and it's a serious challenge. Do it while also absorbing the exits of Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker, and it becomes a genuine Premier League crisis for City. Maresca inherited a rebuild, not a dynasty, and this decision could define his tenure before it really gets started.

Four Names, One Real Answer

Ayyoub Bouaddi is the romantic option. The 18-year-old Moroccan from Lille is a deep-lying conductor in the Rodri mould, and the fact that City have reportedly held talks and that Bouaddi is keen on the move adds fuel to the speculation. He shone at the World Cup and his Champions League performance against Real Madrid last season turned heads across Europe. At an estimated £85m, he's expensive for a teenager, but the profile is right and the ceiling is enormous.

Enzo Fernandez is the practical option. Maresca knows him from Chelsea, made him captain, and trusts him completely. No player made more Premier League appearances under the Italian last season. Fernandez is a leader, a goal threat and a proven Premier League performer with 15 goals and seven assists in 54 appearances last campaign. The catch is Chelsea's £120m asking price, which feels steep when City have already spent £116m on Elliot Anderson. Chelsea have also set a transfer deadline for Friday, so this one could move fast.

Alex Scott is the wildcard. The 22-year-old Bournemouth midfielder fits Maresca's possession-based system, carries the ball well and wins his duels. Bournemouth have knocked back £64m from Chelsea and told Arsenal to stay away too. They'll make City work for him. But given his contract runs until 2028 and Bournemouth's stance, landing Scott would require real commitment.

Alexis Mac Allister is the surprise on the list. Liverpool's Argentine midfielder is into the final two years of his deal at Anfield and City have reportedly explored a move. He's versatile, experienced and a Premier League winner. But he had a difficult 2025-26 season, and the optics of signing directly from Liverpool make this feel unlikely unless the Reds decide to cash in.

The Leadership Problem Nobody Is Talking About

This goes beyond just finding a midfielder. With Silva, Stones and Ake all gone, City's senior leadership group has been gutted. Maresca reportedly wants a homegrown player in that group, and by his own admission Haaland isn't suited to captaincy duties on the pitch. Ruben Dias looks like the frontrunner for the armband.

Fernandez slots neatly into this conversation. Maresca already trusted him with the captain's armband at Chelsea. Bringing him to City would solve two problems at once, the midfield role and the leadership void.

Bouaddi, for all his quality, is 18. You don't hand a teenager the responsibility of replacing a World Cup-winning captain in terms of on-pitch leadership.

Our Call

Fernandez is the move City should be making. The price is painful, but the fit is near-perfect. Maresca knows exactly what he's getting, the player is Premier League-proven, and the leadership qualities are already established. City may need to get creative with the structure of the deal, but if they're serious about staying competitive in the Premier League this season, paying the premium for someone who slots straight in beats gambling on a teenager or pursuing a complicated Anfield raid.

Bouaddi is a brilliant long-term investment and we wouldn't be surprised if City sign him regardless, but as a straight Rodri replacement right now, Fernandez wins on almost every count. The clock is ticking and Chelsea's Friday deadline makes this one of the most important transfer decisions of Maresca's early reign.