Rodri: This is when he'll leave Man City at the 'very earliest' - Insider

Rodri could potentially leave Manchester City during the upcoming January transfer window.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who does not believe there is enough time remaining for his exit to be sorted this summer.

The influential midfielder is out of contract at the Etihad Stadium in June 2027, and has been extensively linked with a move to Real Madrid of late.

However, Wyness expects the saga surrounding the 30-year-old's future to "drag on" beyond the end of this summer's window, which closes on 3 September.

City appear increasingly likely to lose the former Atletico Madrid man upon the expiry of his contract, with little hope of an extension being agreed.

As a result, they face a decision as to whether they allow that scenario to play out, or look to take whatever fee they can get for their star before the end of the upcoming season.

Keith Wyness expects Man City to hold firm this summer

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that City will hold firm and continue to make life difficult for Real Madrid to sign Rodri this summer.

The veteran has been a huge influence on their success in recent years, and proved he is still operating at the highest level with some sparkling performances at the World Cup.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness stressed that he doesn't expect Rodri to depart the Etihad until January "at the very earliest."

"I don't think he's going to leave City until at least the winter at the very earliest, and I think he may well stay with City for the rest of the season," he said. 

"We've got to see his rehab and how he comes out of this back surgery. There are things that have got to be assessed in terms of that.

"As I say, I think it's going to drag on slightly, and I don't think it's going to be done quickly enough for this summer."

Man City Insider 'expects' Rodri exit this summer

Former City financial advisor Stefan Borson recently told Football Insider that he "expects" Rodri to leave before the start of the season.

The football finance expert believes that his former club are content to allow the midfielder to leave for £64million (€75m), rather than holding out for more money.

Borson is adamant that Rodri is worth at least £85m, even given his contract situation, but is also in no doubt that City won't get that in today's market.

Nevertheless, he feels that the writing is on the wall in terms of Rodri's future, and believes that an exit could happen sooner rather than later.