Jack Gaughan reveals insight into Txiki Begiristain and Manchester City’s hunt for a new Rodri back-up transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City appear to have been left stumped in their ongoing search for a capable back-up to defensive midfield mainstay Rodri, according to new details.

Despite having signed a player to excite much of Manchester City’s fanbase already this season, much of the club’s focus this summer has remained on sourcing new midfield recruits for Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Savinho became Manchester City’s first, and currently only, first-team signing earlier this summer joining in a £33.6 million total package agreement from fellow City Football Group side Troyes.

Simultaneously, City have remained linked with the likes of Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes as they look to source a capable option that can play as support for Rodri in defensive midfield, whilst also offering talent in more advanced areas of the pitch.

But that search for a player to suit such a profile has proven more difficult than some may have imagined, with one report explaining the situation ongoing within the Etihad Stadium offices and the recruitment department.

Writing in a new detailed report for MailSport, journalist Jack Gaughan has offered insight into how Manchester City prepare themselves for life without particular players in their first-team squad, which may also point towards their attempts to sign a back-up to Rodri this summer.

Gaughan revealed, “Up in the offices at the City Football Academy, overlooking a squad car park which has a couple of extra vacant spaces this year, Txiki Begiristain compiles a file of three for every position.

“It’s not a physical list scribbled on a notepad. Begiristain keeps Manchester City’s potential transfer activity in his head for as long as possible, and then come the PowerPoint presentations alongside Carlos Raphael Moersen, who has assumed the role of the sporting director’s lieutenant after Omar Berrada’s defection to rivals United.”

Whilst Begiristain has endured plenty of success in his time as Manchester City’s sporting director, and is able to boast an incredible track record when it comes to his recruitment, the Etihad official has been left stumped when it comes to finding support for Rodri.

“Sifting through the tens of candidates who could serve as his back-up has been no easy task for City,” Gaughan explained. “To find somebody good enough to deputise for Rodri but also happy to act as deputy to the world’s best in that area of the pitch appears nigh-on impossible.”

He continued, “They thought Kalvin Phillips was the perfect fit. It’s why the noises around City all summer have been that a conventional holding midfielder is unlikely to be signed before the transfer window shuts, despite a clamour from the fans.”

For now, Pep Guardiola has been forced into sourcing more creative solutions to make up for the absence of Rodri, despite the Spaniard’s return to the City Football Academy midway through last week.

Having not trained since his arrival back at the club, with City remaining patient in allowing him the maximum time to recover from his Euro 2024 duties, Guardiola showcased his back-up options in the opening two competitive contests.

Against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield, it was a pairing of Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly that was put to the test in Rodri’s role, whilst the Croatian combined with Rico Lewis – in an inverted full-back position – to great effect at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.