Enzo Maresca has played down the impact of Rodri’s £65m move to Barcelona, insisting Manchester City will look for the “next Rodri”, just as Erling Haaland was recruited to succeed Sergio Agüero.
Rodri’s exit represents a significant setback for the club’s new manager as he begins his first campaign in charge. However, the Italian remains confident despite losing a player widely regarded as one of the finest defensive midfielders in the world.
“How do we deal with the situation? We have to search for the new Rodri. Before coming here, Rodri had not won the Ballon d’Or, the Champions League or the Club World Cup. He arrived at the club and went on to accomplish many major things.
“Our objective now is to identify his successor. I was thinking on Thursday evening that when David Silva was nearing the end of his time here, people were concerned, but Kevin [De Bruyne] came in. Supporters also worried about Sergio [Agüero] leaving, and then Erling [Haaland] arrived. When Fernandinho departed, Rodri stepped in. That is how it works. When important players move on, the club must recruit their replacements wisely.
“David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri and Erling are comparable examples. Change is a natural part of football, not something to fear. We simply have to move forward and make the correct decisions.”
Rodri had made clear that he wanted to leave City, and Maresca said that, like his predecessor Pep Guardiola, he would never prevent an unhappy player from departing. “He is completely free to go. If he is unhappy, he will not be able to perform at his best,” the manager said.
City suffered a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in last Sunday’s Community Shield in Cardiff. Before Bournemouth’s visit for their Premier League opener on Sunday, Maresca said he had anticipated the criticism that followed the result.
“The response was understandable. Everyone was disappointed immediately after the match,” he said. “We wanted to win but failed to do so, so that reaction was natural. From Tuesday, however, we began preparing for Bournemouth. You must put the previous game aside and concentrate on the next challenge. We were unhappy for two days, but our full attention must now be on Bournemouth.”
Maresca is satisfied with the players’ approach to training as they adjust to working under him rather than Guardiola. “Their attitude has been excellent from the first day,” he said. “The transition is not straightforward for them. When you work with one person every day and that person is replaced, the entire environment changes.
“Imagine I am an actor who has spent 10 years making films with the same director. If a new director suddenly arrives, I may initially continue thinking and working as I did before, but I must eventually adapt to a different approach. That process is difficult and takes some time. It is not an excuse, though, because we need to become competitive as quickly as possible.”
Maresca also outlined his preferred squad size. “Three or four academy players will remain with us after impressing me during pre-season. They include Kaden [Braithwaite], [Floyd] Samba and Ryan McAidoo. Ideally, I would like a group of about 21 or 22 players. Having roughly 20 senior players alongside these energetic youngsters would leave us satisfied.”
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