Rodri; an embodiment of how important holding midfielders are!

The holding midfield position requires unique skills; you must be technically robust, not simply a destroyer, possess a deep knowledge of the game, and, depending on the side you play for, be able to drop into the backline as well as break forward. Easy enough. 

Rodri is one of the greatest in the business and plays for Manchester City. Since joining City from Atlético Madrid in 2019, he has been immensely reliable, and the team benefits. Liverpool, who have had difficulty in this position, have repeatedly been associated with midfield players, demonstrating the significance of his role. On the other hand, Rodri has offered consistency.

He has played more minutes for City this year than anyone else, including goalkeeper Ederson, which speaks volumes about his importance to Pep Guardiola. It is crucial to have a reliable player on the basis of the midfield since their dependability influences the other players.

This season, Rodri has completed 546 more passes than the next-closest midfielder, Pierre-Emile Hjbjerg, and 189 more than Lewis Dunk, who is in second place. He has also received the most touches in the league. Leading his colleagues in these statistics proves Rodri is crucial to City’s effort to win championships.

Guardiola said about the position he is familiar with from his playing days: “To be a holding midfield, you must constantly be stable: seven, eight, seven, eight. A two or three after a big ten performance could be more pleasant. It might be possible for wingers or strikers to accomplish it, but a holding midfielder should wait to try it. Rodri checks off each requirement.

Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso, two of the most intelligent players in modern European football history, were under Guardiola’s management when he was in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively. Guardiola saw that Fernandinho would need to be replaced at City and chose Rodri.

When Rodri was 23, City spent £62.8 million acquiring him, believing he could fill the position for the following ten years. 

Only a few teams shatter their transfer record for a defensive midfielder, but it’s worth it if you can find someone as dependable as Rodri. Enzo Fernández, 22, cost Chelsea more than £100 million in January, and Moisés Caicedo, 21, may cost the same after showcasing his abilities at Brighton. A team can be constructed around these players.

Rodri’s transition from La Liga to the Premier League was complex. He had to adjust to the faster tempo and more physical nature of the game, not to mention the intricate strategies of his manager, but he was smart enough to know how to achieve that. “I think today he’s excellent, he’s always paying attention, and he understands what we are looking for because at times you need time to realise,” Guardiola stated in October 2021.

Everyone is aware of their duties because City are so well organised. Rodri’s is a possession-based squad, so their goal is to keep things straightforward and the ball moving. It is concentrated on quick passes that enable players like Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gündogan to move into advantageous positions.

When a team performs well, wingers and strikers grab the attention, but a brilliant defensive midfielder is always at the back. The position of a team and the player in front of the centre-backs are strongly correlated across the Premier League. There are concerns about how Arsenal will function without Thomas Partey because he has transformed them into title contenders.

Third place belongs to a revitalised Manchester United, whose fortunes have changed following the arrival of Casemiro from Real Madrid, who will play a more defensive position than Rodri has at City.

A defensive midfielder is the centre of the defence and the backbone of the squad; without them, you would disintegrate. Each member has unique characteristics, which are essential to any winning team. The clubs who have yet to have the season they wanted demonstrate this. Spurs have suffered because Hojbjerg hasn’t been at his best, and Liverpool isn’t the same team it was when Fabinho or Georginio Wijnaldum were stifling opponents.

Defensive midfielders need to anticipate events both inside and outside of the ball. Because they lay the foundation by keeping things moving, they must be alert to danger and think two steps ahead of the game. 

Several players in today’s game are at ease in various positions. The position of a defensive midfielder is a vocation. Centre-backs can play in central midfield and so forth, full-backs can patrol the wings, and centre-forwards can drop to the No. 10 position.

Transfer Watch

Aymeric Laporte, a defender for Manchester City, is reportedly a target for PSG in the upcoming transfer window, according to Football Insider.

When Manuel Akanji joined the team this season, Laporte lost favour, and the rumour suggests that he wants to depart before his contract expires in 2025.

Manchester City have reportedly chosen Youssoufa Moukoko as the star forward Erling Haaland’s replacement. The German starlet was part of the squad for all of Germany’s world cup games, all of which were sold out on seatsnet.com. 

The young star of Borussia Dortmund was linked to several European teams in January and may leave Germany in the following transfer windows.

According to the article, Pep Guardiola sees the young German forward as the perfect successor to veteran Argentine forward Sergio Aguero. The Cityzens could use the proceeds from the sale of Haaland to help Moukoko relocate.

Elite clubs like Real Madrid are interested in the Norwegian goal machine, and the Manchester-based team may eventually decide to trade him.

Manchester City is about to lose seven players for free in the summer, claims the Manchester Evening News.

Even though Pep Guardiola’s club could be on the verge of losing several key players once the season ends, the Sky Blues may concentrate all their attention on landing Jude Bellingham during the upcoming transfer window.

The most prominent name on the list of players set to leave is Ilkay Gundogan, a German midfielder linked to a move to Barcelona. Alex Robertson, Kian Breckin, Rowan McDonald, Cieran Slicker, and Joshua McNamara will all depart this summer.

Fichajes claims that Manchester City is eager to meet Gabriel Veiga’s €40 million release clause from Celta Vigo in the coming summer.

According to the source, Manchester City considers Veiga’s release clause a fair value considering his skills than the money other clubs demand for players with similar skill sets.

According to Football Insider, despite interest from several English clubs, Kalvin Phillips, a midfielder for Manchester City, is willing to compete for his position under Pep Guardiola.

For a £42 million transfer fee, Phillips departed Leeds United in the summer. Still, the England international has yet to make the squad sheet for Man City, raising the possibility of his departure.

Phillips is willing to stay at the Etihad and compete for a job despite interest from old employers Leeds United and David Moyes’ West Ham United, having dropped below Rodri and Silva in the hierarchy.

The Will claims that Manchester City are planning to make the summer transfer of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

After previously keeping an eye on the 19-year-old midfielder, city residents have revived their interest in his progress.

To recruit him, the English champions will face stiff competition from several other teams, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Newcastle, who are reportedly keeping a watch on the player’s development.

Manchester City’s perpetual quest for Europe’s highest honour continues, and their fans have been nothing short of supportive of that. Seatsnet.com reported record sellouts for Manchester City’s home derby vs rivals United. The Cityzens continue to rack in full houses every match. Seatsnet.com can help you source authentic tickets.