Enzo Fernandez: The Key to Replacing Rodri at Manchester City

Joe Cole has backed Enzo Fernandez as the man to step into Manchester City’s midfield and take on the impossible job of replacing Rodri – but warned Pep Guardiola may actually need two players to fill that void.

Rodri’s move to Barcelona has ripped out the tactical core of City’s side. For years, the Spaniard dictated the tempo, killed counterattacks, and quietly ran games as the unshakeable heartbeat of Guardiola’s system. Replacing that is not just a recruitment task; it’s a rebuild.

Cole, speaking to Paddy Power, did not sugar-coat the scale of it.

“What a man to try and replace,” he said. “Rodri is one of the all-time Premier League greats. Such a unique footballer.”

City are scouring the market for midfield help and the spotlight has swung firmly onto Fernandez. The Argentine has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad, with Chelsea braced for a saga that Cole expects to drag on.

“This Enzo saga will definitely drag on, because what you’ve got is a player who wants to move on and is wanted by multiple clubs,” Cole said. “Both parties have put a marker down, so it seems to me it’s just about money now.

“Manchester City tend to find money from somewhere, don’t they? Wherever they find it from, that’s down to the FA and everyone else to figure out!”

For Cole, the fit is obvious. He believes Fernandez has the technical range, temperament and bravery on the ball to live with the pressure of replacing such a dominant figure in a side that expects to win everything.

“But they tend to get their man, and he’s a great player,” Cole added. “I think he’s perfect for the job.”

Then came the caveat. Rodri didn’t just plug a gap; he covered several at once. His positional sense, physicality and reading of danger allowed City to attack with numbers, safe in the knowledge that one man could control the chaos behind them.

Cole’s view is that no single signing can truly mirror that influence.

“Replacing Rodri, you need two players to do that, even two top quality players like [Elliot] Anderson and Fernandez,” he said. “I personally believe that deal will get done.”

City, as ever, are expected to move decisively. If Cole is right, they won’t just be buying a midfielder. They’ll be trying to reconstruct the foundation of an era.