Manchester City have completed their first big money signing of the summer in the shape of Rodri from Atletico Madrid after deciding to trigger his £62.8m release clause.
The 22-year-old only re-joined Atletico where he had spent six years in the youth academy from Villarreal last summer, but following interest from City, he informed the club that he wished to move on for a new challenge.
City were not the only suitors for the Spanish international’s signature with Bayern Munich also said to be keen, however, Pep Guardiola has persuaded the midfielder that Manchester rather than Munich is the best place to continue development. but what kind of player have the English domestic kings acquired and how will he fit into the side?
Why have they signed him?
Since Guardiola was appointed Manchester City in June 2016, no player at the club has amassed more minutes of Premier League football than Fernandinho.
The Brazilian has clocked up 8,022 in total, setting him apart from Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, other players to have featured prominently under Guardiola throughout his three seasons in charge.
That Fernandinho has averaged just over 45 games per season since joining City from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, is a testament not only to his ability and importance but also his availability. Last season, though, the 34-year-old finally started to show signs of wear and tear.
According to Transfermarkt.co.uk, Fernandinho has suffered from five separate injuries during his time in Manchester which combined have forced him to miss 18 games in total. Four of those injuries came in 2018-19, depriving Guardiola of his midfield lynchpin on 15 occasions.
City’s over-reliance on Fernandinho over the years has to a large extent been due to their failure to sign an adequate alternative to him and the fact that the club prioritised the signing of Rodri over any other this summer shows that they are determined to reduce the burden on him.
What’s his style of play?
Due to his defensive midfield position and his 6’3 frame, Rodri has been earmarked as the long-term successor to Sergio Busquets for the Spanish national team and it is easy to see why such comparisons have been made when watching him play.
Like Busquets, Rodri plays an important role in the build-up phase by distributing the ball accurately around the pitch from his position just in front of the defence. Generally speaking, he keeps things simple, playing short, low-risk passes to ensure possession is retained.
The creative aspect of Fernandinho’s game is often underlooked and Rodri is far less inclined to play progressive passes between the lines. An area in which the two are comparable, however, is in terms of their defensive appetite.
Rodri’s greatest strength is his screening of the defence, through an excellent reading of the game and expert positioning as well as aggressive tackling. Last season, he ranked second in La Liga for tackles won with 103, which is noteworthy considering he played for the second-best side in the division.
He also has a tendency to commit the odd ‘tactical foul’ on occasion too, averaging 1.7 fouls per game and collecting five yellow cards across his 34 La Liga appearances last season. Fernandinho is one of the masters when it comes to that particular dark art.
How will he fit in?
Guardiola has allowed certain signings a six-month bedding period at City with Bernardo Silva, Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte, notable examples of players who had slow starts before becoming important first-team players.
Should Fernandinho return fit and healthy from participating with Brazil in the Copa America, he should still start the season as City’s first-choice holding player in Guardiola’s regular 4-3-3 system while Rodri gets accustomed to a new style of play.
Considering how much City have spent on him, though, Rodri will certainly get game-time during his maiden campaign and should everything go to plan, he might have even usurped Fernandinho in the pecking order by the end of the season with the Brazilian turning 35 in May.
Guardiola will be hoping that Kevin De Bruyne is over the fitness troubles that plagued his season and a trio featuring the Belgian, David or Bernardo Silva and Rodri, makes for a pretty formidable midfield unit.
Worth the money?
Each of City’s last three permanent signings has broken the club’s transfer record with the £62.5m eclipsing the £60m spent on Riyad Mahrez last summer and the £57m shelled out for Aymeric Laporte 18-months ago.
Although £62.5m seems steep given Atletico paid just £17.8m for him last summer, the direction that the transfer market is moving in means it isn’t too unreasonable a fee. Indeed, Atletico would definitely have valued him higher if it were not for the release clause in his deal signed last summer.
For a club of City’s resources, a high transfer fee isn’t particularly important, so long as the player in question is able to justify the investment with strong performances on the pitch and Rodri has the credentials to become a real success at the Etihad.
City’s recent transfer dealings over the past couple of seasons will also give encouragement that Rodri will be a success story. Since 2017, City have spent sizeable sums on Mahrez, Laporte, Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Ederson and Danilo, all of whom have proven smart additions.
Finally, his arrival rectifies a problem position in City’s squad. Although Ilkay Gundogan is a capable deputy, City’s squad was lacking a specialist defensive midfielder to provide competition and cover for Fernandinho and Rodri means they belatedly have someone to fill that role.
Overall rating: 8/10
Guardiola identified Rodri as a priority target and City acted efficiently to secure his services amid interest from other clubs. His pedigree, potential and position suggests it could well be another piece of astute business from the reigning two-time Premier League champions.
