Could a Real Madrid winger fit into Pep Guardiola’s new system? | OneFootball

One player who has been named as a potential Manchester City target this summer is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo. Ruairidh Barlow has reported for Football Espana that Manchester City and Liverpool have an interest in signing the Real Madrid winger this summer. Barlow adds that Real Madrid would likely demand a transfer fee of €100 million to sell the Brazilian international.

Manchester City could move for Rodrygo this summer. It wouldn’t be a major surprise if they did. But the question for me is, would the Brazilian international fit into the new system Pep Guardiola has utilised of late? That’s the question at hand for any potential City move for Rodrygo.

Pep Guardiola has implemented a 4-2-2-2 system recently, so would Real Madrid winger Rodrygo fit into it?

Across Manchester City’s recent nine-game unbeaten run, Pep Guardiola has implemented a 4-2-2-2 system of sorts. That system has given his team control of games and restored stability to their play. The width has come from the full-backs, and the wingers have typically inverted to cater for this. Savinho, Omar Marmoush and James McAtee have done this when they have played on the wing recently. In the case of Jeremy Doku, he stays wide when he starts. We saw this in Manchester City’s most recent 1-nil win over Wolves. Doku stayed wide, and Nico O’Reilly inverted. But typically City’s wingers have tucked in in Pep Guardiola’s system.

Is that a role Rodrygo could play? That’s the question at hand. I expect Pep Guardiola to stick with the system we have seen lately for next season. Erling Haaland should play up top. There’s no reason why Haaland won’t be the focal point for Manchester City in the new system Guardiola has implemented. The question is, could Rodrygo play off him as an inverted winger? I expect Omar Marmoush to thrive in such a role on the left next season. Perhaps Rodrygo could do something similar on the right wing. Whether or not he’d want to is another question. The Real Madrid winger has the skillset to slot into the new system Pep Guardiola has implemented. He is an electric dribbler, and his delivery and finishing can be lethal on his day. Or perhaps he could compete with Marmoush for the role on the left. Maybe that’s where Rodrygo would fit into the new system Guardiola has installed.

Rodrygo could fit in at Manchester City but if they move for him could depend on who they sign this summer.

You can see how Rodrygo could potentially slot into Pep Guardiola’s new system. He has the talent to do so. But for me, I do think Omar Marmoush will be City’s option on the left next season. So maybe Rodrygo could play on the other side of Erling Haaland. That could be where he fits if Manchester City pursue a move for the Real Madrid winger.

It could also depend on who else Manchester City sign next summer. If Florian Wirtz, for example, arrives at the Etihad I can’t see City moving for Rodrygo. There’d be no point based on the system Pep Guardiola is utilising. So that may dictate Manchester City’s potential approach for Rodrygo at the end of this season.