Man City must do something they couldn't four years ago after transfer bombshell

Manchester City were rocked on Thursday after Rodri hinted at his desire to return to Spain and possibly join Real Madrid

Such is the nature of football, nothing lasts forever and Manchester City were not naive enough to think that every player who walks through the door at the Etihad Stadium would retire there. The list of legendary players who have left during Pep Guardiola's tenure would make other clubs wince with envy.

And yet, the idea of Rodri leaving City either in the summer transfer window, or at the end of his contract in 2027, is enough to cause the Blues to panic. Sitting just in front of the back four, the Spaniard has been the archetypal Guardiola player.

The midfielder dictates games when he is at his best. Guardiola hates his teams running excessively. In his opinion, if you are running hard, you don't have control of the game. Rodri has the awareness to know where he needs to be often before the opponent can sense the danger. Conserving energy to perform at his best.

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That is why he won the Ballon d'Or and why City looked a shadow of their former selves when he missed almost the entirety of the 2024/25 season. Now it appears Rodri has opened the door to leaving the club permanently.

"I’d like to return (to Spain), obviously," Rodri explained while away on international duty this week. "For me, La Liga is where I started. I still follow it, it’s true not as much as before, but I still follow it." The Spaniard was quick to point out he is happy in the Premier League at the moment but added: "I think it’s a thrilling league but at the same time very demanding, meaning it pushes you to the limit.

"I’ve been there for seven years now, and I’m noticing the passage of time." If Rodri were to leave City at the end of the season for a new challenge back in Spain, most likely with Real Madrid, Guardiola and co. would need to enact the succession plan.

In 2022, City tried to hand over some of the pressure on Rodri to Kalvin Phillips. However, it is fair to say Guardiola never fully trusted the former Leeds man to do the job of his star midfielder.

Not a lot of players in world football can be trusted to be as influential as the Spaniard but, eventually, City need to be willing to hand over the reins. Fast forward to 2026 and it is no longer Phillips who would be entrusted to fill the void left behind by the departing legend.

Nico Gonzalez arrived from Porto last year and he fits the profile of a potential Rodri successor. Out of necessity, Gonzalez played regularly last season and the beginning of this campaign as City tried to make do without their first-choice defensive midfielder.

While not yet the world-beating midfielder that Rodri is, he has the potential to be that player for Guardiola. And yet, since the turn of the year, the 24-year-old has been left to watch on in the Premier League as Rodri returned both to full fitness and the starting line-up.

He picked up a knock in January but since the start of February, Gonzalez has played just 39 minutes across seven Premier League matches. The midfielder even missed out at West Ham when it seemed destined that Rodri would be given a rest in preparation for the Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid.

After Rodri's bombshell this week, City and Guardiola need to come to terms with the idea of the midfielder leaving. An over reliance on the star man will only hurt the Blues in the long run, especially if Rodri leaves in the summer.

They have to start showing more faith in Gonzalez as they future-proof themselves for a life without Rodri. Because, by the sounds of it, that day is coming sooner than we thought.