Midfield plans take shape as deadline looms
There is a certain irony in the way this summer has unfolded. Manchester City have never imagined that Ferran Torres, of all people, would be the catalyst for Rodri's departure from the Etihad. Yet here we are, with Barcelona preparing to bank the proceeds from his switch to PSG and the Nou Camp beckoning.
All the noise points one way. Rodri wants the move, even if he is going about his business with the professionalism you would expect from a Ballon d'Or winner. The clock, though, is ticking. Five days separate Enzo Maresca's side from their Community Shield meeting with Arsenal, and Stefan Borson has suggested that fixture could serve as the deadline for any deal.
Should the transfer collapse, it would hardly be a disaster for City. Rodri could simply run down his contract in England, though that would leave the club without a fee. Either way, his future is destined to dominate conversation until the window shuts.
The search for a successor
Maresca, presumably, is not waiting around. The former Chelsea boss is understood to be hunting a direct replacement, with neither Elliot Anderson nor Ayyoub Bouaddi viewed as that man. Both are expected to arrive in big-money moves, but the manager wants more.
Enzo Fernandez sits at the top of that list, yet Chelsea's £120million valuation is a significant obstacle. City are already set to surpass £200m on the Anderson and Bouaddi deals, so splashing out another nine figures on the Argentine feels like a stretch.
Adam Wharton, at least in theory, offered a cheaper alternative. The Crystal Palace midfielder has been heavily linked as exactly that, and supporters were keen to know whether he was a genuine option. Sam Lee, of The Athletic, was rather blunt when quizzed on X: "No Wharton." He reiterated the same to another fan.
So City continue their search, with the Community Shield fast approaching and Rodri's future still unresolved. It promises to be a long five days.