Maresca vows to find 'new Rodri' after midfielder's August exit to Barcelona
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said on August 22, 2026 that the club will aim to "find the new Rodri" after the Spain international left for Barcelona on August 18, speaking to reporters a day before City's Premier League opener against Bournemouth. Maresca added that Manchester City have repeatedly shown the ability to replace key players.
Rodri, 30, brought an end to a seven-year spell at City on August 18 after a trophy-laden period that included four Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups. The midfielder, who was also the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and a member of Spain's European Championship-winning team, captained his country to World Cup glory last month and was named player of the tournament.
"I'll try to find a new Rodri - it is what it is," Maresca said, adding that the club's objective now is to identify a successor. "Rodri, before he arrived here, he didn't win the Ballon d'Or, he didn't win the Champions League, he didn't win the Club World Cup. Then he joined the club and then he achieved many important things. Now the target for us is to try to find the new Rodri."
Acknowledging the difficulty of replacing a player of Rodri's stature, Maresca pointed to past examples of City recruitment reshaping the squad after departures. "When David Silva was here, everyone was worried – Kevin (De Bruyne) arrived. When Sergio Aguero was here, everyone was worried – Erling (Haaland) arrived. When Fernandinho left, Rodri arrived. It's just about this," he said. "When they leave, you need to be good and recruit the next one."
Maresca said he expected further activity before the transfer window closes and remained relaxed amid reports linking Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez with moves away from the club. "We need to adapt and we don't want to keep players here that don't want to stay. The normal thing in transfer windows is that you have to wait because all the clubs try to keep players until the last week and then sell for more money," he said. "It's normal. I'm not worried about that. When the transfer window closes and we have the squad there, for sure it will be different."
Rodri's departure is one of several notable changes during the close season as City continue to reshape their squad, Maresca acknowledged. A file image accompanying coverage showed FC Barcelona introducing Rodri in front of fans at Camp Nou.
City's next fixture is the Premier League opener against Bournemouth, which takes place the day after Maresca's comments; the manager said the squad will be different once the transfer window has closed.