‘Man City land huge boost’ as £60m+ Rodri details emerge
Pep Guardiola’s Man City ended last season trophyless for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign, and are keen to make amends in the Club World Cup this summer.
City face their opening game of the tournament against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June and are working on important business before the kick-off.
Following his return from injury towards the back end of last season, Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is set to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium.
After what looked like a season-ending knee ligament injury last September, the 28-year-old made an emotional comeback ahead of schedule in Man City‘s penultimate game against Bournemouth last month.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has suggested Rodri’s new deal will give Guardiola and his squad a timely lift for the Club World Cup.
Rodri will spearhead new title challenge at Man City, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted he expects Rodri to be at the heart of City’s renewed Premier League challenge next season.
According to the Daily Mirror (31 May), Rodri’s new agreement is set to keep him in Manchester until 2029.
The holding midfielder currently earns £200,000 but his new deal is expected to be worth more than £300,000-a-week – at least £62million across the length of the contract.
| Appearances | 261 |
| Minutes Played | 20597 |
| Goals | 26 |
| Assists | 31 |
| Yellow Cards | 47 |
| Red Cards | 1 |
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s a huge boost. I think Rodri would be a boost for any club in the world.
“He’s also a classic Pep-type player, and I think a lot of the squad look up to him now.
“To see him come back, and the reception he got when he came on the pitch, just shows how much he means to the club.
“It’s a good boost. I think with a good pre-season and a couple of new signings to freshen things up, I expect City to be challenging (next season).
“I also expect Rodri to be at the heart of that challenge next year.”
Grealish set to be first out the Man City door
Meanwhile, Jack Grealish is likely to be the first Man City player out of the door as part of a major overhaul of Guardiola’s squad this summer.
According to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, City chiefs are preparing to replace Kyle Walker and are concerned about the long-term prospects of Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and John Stones.
The January transfer window saw £180million spent on the additions of Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez.
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