Manchester City Prepare for Life Without Rodri
Manchester City are preparing for life without Rodri. That sentence alone would have sounded absurd not long ago, but inside the Etihad the mood has shifted from disbelief to cold planning.
The Spaniard, the metronome of City’s midfield and the anchor of their recent dominance, is closing in on a move to Barcelona. A £55 million package is understood to be in its final stages, with the World Cup-winning captain set for Camp Nou once the final details are signed off.
For Enzo Maresca, it is a brutal early test. Lose your on-pitch compass, then rebuild the entire midfield geometry around someone new. City have known this was coming and have been working the market hard.
They moved early for Elliot Anderson, paying a striking £116m to get him through the door. A bold fee for a player still moulding his top-level identity, but a clear signal that City intend to refresh, not just patch up.
That alone will not cover the Rodri-sized hole. Which is why eyes have turned, somewhat unexpectedly, to Anfield.
Mac Allister on the shortlist
According to talkSPORT, Alexis Mac Allister has emerged in internal City discussions as a possible successor at the base of midfield. Not a bid, not a negotiation. A name on a very serious shortlist.
The Argentine is edging towards the final two years of his Liverpool contract. Since arriving from Brighton in 2023, he has been a regular in the starting XI, a trusted cog in a team that veered from title glory to late-season disappointment.
His first two years on Merseyside have told a complex story. He helped drive Liverpool to the 2024/25 Premier League title and played a central role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph. Yet his form dipped as Liverpool’s most recent campaign unravelled, the team sliding to fifth and the midfielder facing calls from some quarters to be dropped.
Even so, inside recruitment departments his reputation remains strong. Scouts value his tactical intelligence, his ability to operate as a deep-lying pivot or further forward, and his comfort in high-pressure, possession-heavy systems. For City, that profile is gold: a Premier League-proven operator who could, in theory, slip into Maresca’s intricate positional play with less turbulence than an overseas gamble.
Transfer reporter Ben Jacobs has offered a glimpse into City’s thinking.
“I know internally Alexis McAllister has been mentioned, but there's been no contact yet, or developments with Liverpool. So that's just more part of a shortlisting process than anything to get excited about,” he told talkSPORT.
So, for now, it is an idea rather than an active pursuit. But ideas at City have a habit of turning into offers when the fit looks right.
Bouaddi now, a general later
City’s summer does not hinge on one name. Talks are ongoing with Lille for Ayyoub Bouaddi, the highly rated Moroccan teenager. Personal terms with the player are understood to be in place, and City are working to close a deal.
Bouaddi, though, is one for the future. Inside the club, there is an acceptance that another, more seasoned midfielder is needed to guide the team through the immediate post-Rodri era. That is where the conversation circles back to Mac Allister and others of his ilk.
Maresca has his preferences. Those who know his tastes point to Enzo Fernandez, whom he worked with at Chelsea, as an ideal stylistic fit. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has also been mentioned as a rising Premier League option.
“Some people have mentioned Adam Wharton to me as well,” Jacobs added. “So possibly in a perfect world, if Maresca had his say, he might choose to move for Enzo Fernandez. We can't entirely discount it, but the price is a massive stumbling block. And at the moment, City's focus is on trying to get Bouaddi over the line.”
The pattern is clear: City are scanning every tier of the market, from teenage prospects to established international stars, searching for a player who can take the weight Rodri has carried almost alone.
Liverpool’s dilemma
For Liverpool, the idea of Mac Allister in sky blue is close to unthinkable.
He was one of the standout figures in their title-winning 2024/25 season, scoring five league goals from midfield and earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year. When Liverpool were at their best, he was often at the heart of it, knitting play, pressing intelligently, and dictating tempo.
Even during the slump to fifth last season, when criticism grew louder and some argued for his removal from the XI, the underlying data painted a different picture. His passing lanes, defensive positioning and work without the ball remained highly valued by analysts across the division.
That is precisely why City are talking about him. And precisely why Liverpool would be deeply reluctant to sell, especially to a direct title rival.
The financial calculation is one thing. The competitive risk is another. Strengthening Manchester City, while weakening your own midfield, is the kind of move that can define a title race before a ball is kicked.
For now, Mac Allister is just a name on a list inside the Etihad. Rodri is still a City player, his move not yet rubber-stamped. Bouaddi is not yet over the line. Fernandez and Wharton remain expensive, complicated targets.
But windows move quickly. Once Rodri’s departure is confirmed, the search for the new heartbeat of Maresca’s midfield will accelerate. And if City decide Mac Allister is the one, how firmly will Liverpool slam the door?
