Man City ‘targeting Rodri replacement’ with Guardiola given ‘huge kitty’ for January transfer
According to reports, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will have a ‘huge transfer kitty’ to replace Rodri in the winter transfer window.
Rodri has been ruled out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury in the Premier League match against Arsenal last Sunday.
Reports that the Spaniard would miss the rest of the season were confirmed by Guardiola during a press conference on Friday.
“He got the surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus,” the manager told reporters.
“So, next season he’ll be here. This season is over.
“Unfortunately he got the worst (news), but it is what it is. In this level sometimes, unfortunately, it happens.
“We are there to support him, a good recovery, step by step and move forward.”
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Rodri’s absence will leave a huge void with the champions having not lost any of their last 48 Premier League matches in which he has featured.
Guardiola said: “What he gives us, we don’t have a similar player but the other players altogether can replace what Rodri has given since he arrived.
“We have to do it as a team and we have to find the way to play during a lot (of) months without an important player. Everybody knows it.
“But there is not one day in the last years where I was not confident. Of course we are stronger with him, we know that, we don’t want it, but football happens.
“We have magnificent players and we will find the solution.”
It is unclear whether or not Guardiola will delve into the transfer market in January but he reportedly has the funds there if he fancies it.
Guardiola has big funds available for Rodri replacement
That is according to Football Insider, where it is claimed that Guardiola has a ‘huge kitty’ at his disposal to sign a Rodri replacement.
The Premier League champions will not sign a defensive midfielder for the sake of it but with business ‘not guaranteed if an opportunity does not arise’.
Regardless, Guardiola is ‘already targeting replacements’ and ‘the names he is looking at are unlikely to be available in January’.
With that being the case, City ‘are prepared to remain patient’ and will not ‘rush into a panic buy’ in the winter transfer window.
The report adds:
There is a feeling that City will need to recruit a direct replacement who can play the deeper midfield role in Guardiola’s side.
Doing so would likely take a sizeable fee – although that is not expected to put them off thanks to the big-money summer sales they conducted.
Sources say City will turn to the transfer market in January, armed with a significant transfer kitty, but are not guaranteed to do any business if an opportunity does not arise.
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