Manchester City ‘issued warning’ over approach for potential Rodri replacement | OneFootball

Manchester City have reportedly been ‘issued a warning’ over the signing of Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.

The Slovakia international has been touted as a potential addition to Pep Guardiola’s midfield roster in the wake of star man Rodri’s season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in September.

Lobotka has long been reported to be on his way out of the Serie A club, but new boss Antonio Conte has seemingly liked what he has seen from the midfielder and will be keen to keep him in the side as they aim to push back into Europe.

The 29-year-old has made nine appearances this season, remaining under contract at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona until 2027. Negotiations with Napoli have been relatively fruitless for City decision makers in the past, failing to bring in both Jorginho and Kalidou Koulibaly.

And despite some in the British press linking Manchester City to Lobotka for a potential January move, Sky Italia’s Francesco Modugno has rubbished any idea that the Premier League could come out successful in negotiations this time around.

“Are fans worried that Stanislav Lobotka could really go to Pep’s Manchester City in January because of Rodri’s injury?” he said on Italian radio, and relayed by Area Napoli. “A transfer of the Slovakian is not planned or foreseeable.

“Such a negotiation would imply a firm reaction from the Azzurri club like the one seen with Paris Saint-Germain for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who in the end did not leave and remained in Campania.”

The Slovak is not the only Serie A midfielder City are reportedly keen on bringing in. Torino youngster Samuele Ricci is also high on the list for the Premier League club, but reports have suggested that the Italian club could demand up to €50 million for the midfield man.

Guardiola has turned to the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan to cover for the missing Rodri, but since suffering the injury Manchester City have drawn one Premier League game, and narrowly won the other.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Manchester City notoriously lost all three games during Rodri’s suspension for violent conduct, spurring a major discussion regarding the side’s midfield depth.