O'Reilly's Midfield Ambition Adds a Twist to City's Rodri Replacement Hunt
Nico O'Reilly has made no secret of where he wants to play. The academy graduate, now a crucial member of the first-team squad, says he would '100 percent' operate in midfield — and that he grew up there, playing 'quite a lot' in that role last season.
"It'd be something I'd like to do," he said, while acknowledging the scale of what City have lost.
"Everyone knows how good Rodri was and it made everyone's game easier around him. He's there, dictates the game. So it's a huge loss, but it's time to adapt."
The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner has left for Barcelona on a four-year deal, returning to Spain to join forces with Hansi Flick after seven seasons in Manchester. His exit follows an FA Cup and Carabao Cup double winning campaign, and leaves a gap that City are still working to fill.
O'Reilly, though, is clear about his own versatility. "The player I am, I'm adaptive, I can play left-back, midfield, holding midfield," he said. The manager, he added, has told him to be ready to play anywhere — a rare attribute within a team.
"We've made some new signings, who knows if anyone else is going to come, so we've just got to be patient," O'Reilly said.
Patience may be required. A deal for Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi is expected to be completed before the end of the window, while AS Roma's Manu Kone has emerged as a recent target. Interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez is unlikely to go anywhere, with the west London club holding out for £120 million for the 25-year-old Argentina international.
That interest is understood to stem directly from Enzo Maresca, who knows Fernandez well from his time at Chelsea. Tijjani Reijnders' move to Al Qadsiah has added to the sense of movement in the market, while sporting director Hugo Viana faces social media backlash from fans.
City are also pursuing a new wide attacker, with Palmeiras' 22-year-old Allan Elias believed to be the number one target. A deal is reportedly close.
For now, though, the midfield question lingers. O'Reilly's willingness to step in gives Maresca an option he might not have expected — but whether that is enough to replace the irreplaceable remains to be seen.